Dumb A55 me dropped a screw down the gas tank..Its SS so can't fish out with a magnet..Afraid it will lodge in the outlet [no in side screen, outside filter] in the middle of east over shoe..With out taking the tank out and shaking it out any one have an idea? Grasping at straws..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10M-LED-And...hash=item51f33a99de:m:m1tXYq1SFDhTLViJB59WmLg This! You should be able to fish it out with the wire attachment. Saved my *** trying to inspect the operation of a hydraulic throwout bearing. And I've seen up my nose. Chris
More aptly put,grasping at screws!,Honestly the only thing I can think of besides the already mentioned solutions is to drop the tank, HRP
If your only option is to drop the tank, might as well wait until it plugs up your outlet and do it then. Leave it be and it may never be an issue.
What year car . What size screw ,if it has weight it should stay @ bottom unless u have a bad *** electric pump
Just don't make any sharp turns !![emoji15] The rubber on that endoscope will melt if there's gas Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Actually most stainless is magnetic at least most that we deal with. Just not as magnetic as steel. If I could see it I would try a spring claw, or the strongest magnet I could find. I am probably luckier than most but in the past I have drained tanks and just had the fluid flow carry small things like screws along with it. @seb fontana I saw this and thought that you were talking about me. I was gonna write @Ryan a note and tell him that you are being mean to me, uh again.
if it does eventually plug it up, just pull the line and blow into it, and it'll move out of the way again
You're screwed! Literally and figuratively. But seriously, I'm with leaving it until it becomes a problem. Just have a filter out of the tank to the fuel line. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
As suggested above, there is great likelihood the screw WILL stick to a magnet. Don't you have another of the same to test? I use a commercial magnet-on-a-stick thing with a much stronger small rare earth magnet stuck on. Use glue at that joint too, as the magnet will be much more attracted to the bottom of the tank than to the tool otherwise.
303 stainless is non-magnetic, 304 is somewhat. (iirc) Actually, a few added screws will have that 'rock-shaker tumbler' effect, and a super clean tank will result! ...and as 19eddy30 mused, "a strong fuel pump". Mount a filter before the pump...Pick it out of your filter.
I was timid to post after being such a DA.. Great suggestions, I am impressed! I never would have thought of vacuuming! I did ignore the screw after it fell in; I was in east over shoe when the screw fell in so did for a bout 50 miles to home.. I took filler neck off and looked in; lot of angle on bottom of tank in that area so screw not there, whole tank bottom angled to rear so figured it should be at the back which I can't see..I got another screw and checked for magnetic and was zip..Per chance I didn't remember right I tried a magnet any ways; however the bigger the magnet the less you can maneuver it around the inside of tank! Tried on outside of tank per chance I could move screw to where I could grab it but the same law worked also; bigger the magnet the harder to move..Duh..So I figured ignore some more and when fuel pressure goes away then screw should be in port..Took about 150 miles and fuel pressure went away, turned electric pump on and made it home..Drained tank with the electric pump and fuel barely dribbled out so screw should be in port..Took line off tank and no screw..Took fuel bowl off electric pump and found lot of ****! Id of bowl gasket was same as filter od so only filtered for the first 1/2" or so..I think I'll try vacuuming...
Sorry, Zeb...just blindly threw some loose physics at ya. Zounds! Where'd the fuel pressure go??? I think we've NOT heard the last of this!
Odds are that the tank sits at some angle so the screw will gravitate to the low side. If there is another screw that is the same & then it could be tested to see if it is magnetic. As many others have said 304 stainless and some low grade stainlesses are magnetic. If the screw is magnetic then maybe a place a couple small rare earth magnets along the long low corner of the tank where the screw might roll back and forth. Rare earth magnets are small & powerful so it could snag & hold the screw if it p***es near a magnet. Similar to placing a magnet on an oil filter to grab metal particles inside the filter can.
Well while we're waiting for the dramatic conclusion.. Years ago I was out trail riding with friends. We stopped at a small town gas station where one guy decided to check the spark plug in his Triumph. You know the little threaded ferrule that goes on the plug top? You guessed it, right down the plug hole. Non-magnetic so that's out. Next we're all chewing gum and putting it on sticks. No luck there. We knew what had to be done... 4 guys picking up a Triumph 650, flipping it over and shake. Came right out. Beers on him.
That crud was loosened by the screw rattling about in the tank. You may get more crud loosened off if you leave the screw in there, eventually you will have a nice clean tank with minimum work.
The Jalopy Journal
