Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

So today i replaced my dizzy. Easy huh? yeah it was until the end when i dropped the hold down bolt down the back of the motor :doh:

So i tried fishing for it with my magnet and i can usually get them out or knock them through the bottom, but it seems this one is lost in the abyss.

I ended up running to oreillys and bought a damn new hold down clamp for gen I sbc which didnt fit and just used the damn stud and nut...

I'm curious do you guys think the bolt is still up there or did it roll away as soon as i pulled off my drive way?

What do you guys do to protect/guide yourself from dropping bolts down hard to reach locations? I seem to do my work very methodically and then always screw up on some small stupid thing.

Thanks all

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

I stopped using the bolt long ago and switched to the stud. I just break it loose with a distributor wrench and then remove it by hand. If you are afraid of loosing bolts or nuts you can throw a magnet on the top of it until it starts to thread or is out of the threads.

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

put a gob of grease in the socket and when the bolt is completely un-threaded, the grease will hold it in the socket until you remove it yourself.

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

whats the best way to clean out the socket afterwards?

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

Brake cleaner and a rag. I don't do it often, only when i can't reach my hand to where the bolt is and I really don't want it falling down into the engine bay.

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

I've always wondered why they don't make magnetized sockets for us guys with the dropseezz. Maybe a "shark tank" product the billionaires would go for?

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

Would be a good idea. Only downside is they'd probably fill up with metal shavings and particles and become annoying like welding magnets do

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

but
easier to clean out then a big glob of grease

Re: Best way to find a lost bolt on bellhousing/transmission
 

Actually to the 1st caller
try - right after or before you drive anywhere- go in reverse about 5 mph and slam on the brake, then pull up about 2 car lengths and search for the bolt you lost on the street.

If nothing go forward 5 mph, slam on the brakes (you get the procedure) AND if no luck head to ace hardware or go to a shop and put up on a lift and search for the lost item, I just lost a 1/2 " thread grade 8 bolt for the A/C bracket yesterday (no spare) and will try this procedure tomorrow