short story. Was putting on taylor otv wire kit. Had to get side mount looms b/c I have vette valve covers. One of the small bolts used to mount loom to head drooped out and magically found its way riding down my Jet hot LT's into the inner part where the 4 tubes collect. I can even see it but if I hit exhaust it makes a noisey rattle, which I can only assume is going to trigger KR. I can't see bolt, I can get tool in there to extract it! WTF am I going to do. I really really don't want to have to remove this freaking header just to get this 2cent bolt out
just freaking great, another 24hour project to fix something insanely stupid

 

LOL!

I ran into the exact same problem as you. Find a thin piece of wire and insert it into the collectors and intersect the middle. Slide the wire with the bolt up and out. You'll need to do this from below.

 

Been there also. Took me 3 hours to fish the bolt out with magnet and wire. I was pissed beyond belief and thought it could only happen to me. Now I jamb a shop rag in there befor I even start wrenching anything on tht side.


My sympathys
Steve

 

problem is the bolt is so small that it goes down beyond where I can see and hence even if I got a small wire in there it won't even touch the bolt much less get it out.

I thought about magnent but don't have any and I guess I might have to buy one and try to fish it out.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

was going to go to track today

 

...sounds like you know what you have to do.

 

Take an air compressor and take the end off the hose, then turn the air on and blow it out.

Worked for me.

 

I used a telescopic magnet and taped the sections together so It wouldent collapse. It still wouldent reach the stage 8 bolt but I was able to manage sliding a thin piece of sheet metal between the tubes and force the bolt to the magnet. If that wouldent work my next plan was to use some poly tubing and hooking it up to my shop vac to suck it out.
Took me about 15 min with the magnet. ugh!

 

This may be too much for you now but for the future and for anyone else that has this stuff sitting around this works GREAT!

Take an old Sonicare toothbrush replaceable head, cut off the base where it screws to the battery. (Just the plastic cover)

Now cut off the brush.

Next take a wire hanger and straighten it out.

Heat up the end of the hanger on the stove and stick it to the end of the plastic stick where the brush was.

This leaves you with a very powerful magnet that can pick up a good amount of weight on a very maneuverable, strong handle.

I will try to post a picture when I get home. I thought of it when I was going to throw away my old toothbrush and thought it was just too cool to toss.

Good luck!

 

Side by side - Before and After
Size: next to penny
Picking up a LCA

If it can pick up a Lower Control Arm, I'm sure it could get all the dropped screws and tools.

Anyway, hope that is helpful to someone.

 

cool tool.

 

Thanks. So if I see it on Ebay for $50 I'll want a kick back. LOL!

 

I'm in somewhat of the same problem. I am in the middle of my header install, and I took the bracket off of the alternator that connects to the header bolt. Low and behold, it fell somwhere. I couldn't find it on the ground, so I am assuming it will mess something up that is important. I have been searching for about 45 min. Any suggestions on how to find it?