That was a close one

[Sureshot]

So I was cleaning my carbs this weekend on a Johnson 50 HP 2-stroke. After reassembly, I started bolting down the lower carb and it's an impossibly tight fit. I still have the VRO pump so basically all the space on the port side of the carbs is occupied by the pump and fuel hoses going everywhere. I finally found an angle but as I'm trying to thread the nut with my fingers, the nut slips off the threads and falls down into the lower cowling. I grab my flashlight and see no signs of the nut. All I see is the shift rod coming out of a shaft, just big enough for my screw to have fallen in. I start freaking out thinking about what this means. If it went down the shaft, would I have to remove the entire powerhead? Lower unit dissassembly? Both ideas scare the crap out of me. I finally get it together and decide to remove the starter which is blocking some of my view and low and behold, the nut is under the starter but just a few inches from that shaft. I carefully stick a screw driver in and push the nut away from danger and pull it out. So has anybody ever had a scare like that? And say something tragically did fall down that shift rod shaft, how do you go about getting it out?

 

[Haffiman]

Re: That was a close one

Turn the engine up-side down!

 

[Will Bark]

Re: That was a close one

I run a thin long flexible shaft magnetic pickup down the hole and it usually works.

 

[Sureshot]

Re: That was a close one

I'll have to look for one of those! Next time I mess w/ the carbs I plan to stick a rag down there and hopefully block anything I mishandle.

 

[TampaNate77]

Re: That was a close one

So I was cleaning my carbs this weekend on a Johnson 50 HP 2-stroke. After reassembly, I started bolting down the lower carb and it's an impossibly tight fit. I still have the VRO pump so basically all the space on the port side of the carbs is occupied by the pump and fuel hoses going everywhere. I finally found an angle but as I'm trying to thread the nut with my fingers, the nut slips off the threads and falls down into the lower cowling. I grab my flashlight and see no signs of the nut. All I see is the shift rod coming out of a shaft, just big enough for my screw to have fallen in. I start freaking out thinking about what this means. If it went down the shaft, would I have to remove the entire powerhead? Lower unit dissassembly? Both ideas scare the crap out of me. I finally get it together and decide to remove the starter which is blocking some of my view and low and behold, the nut is under the starter but just a few inches from that shaft. I carefully stick a screw driver in and push the nut away from danger and pull it out. So has anybody ever had a scare like that? And say something tragically did fall down that shift rod shaft, how do you go about getting it out?

The same exact thing happened to me today.... I was taken my carb's off to do a rebuild on them (triple carb's) and i loosened one of the nuts on the bottom carb and it dropped on the cowl. So i went to grab the nut with some needle nose pliers and when i picked it up.... the pliers lost grip and it dropped on the cowl and bounced right in the hole where the shift rod comes up. It ended up just laying on the shift rod and didnt make it in the hole... Thank God!! But when I seen it bounce towards the hole... I was like NOOOOOOOO!!

 

[Haffiman]

Re: That was a close one

Just be aware that SST screws are non-magnetic.

 

[Will Bark]

Re: That was a close one

These are nuts holding the carbs on and mine are magnetic; otherwise yes;SOL

 

[Sureshot]

Re: That was a close one

The same exact thing happened to me today.... I was taken my carb's off to do a rebuild on them (triple carb's) and i loosened one of the nuts on the bottom carb and it dropped on the cowl. So i went to grab the nut with some needle nose pliers and when i picked it up.... the pliers lost grip and it dropped on the cowl and bounced right in the hole where the shift rod comes up. It ended up just laying on the shift rod and didnt make it in the hole... Thank God!! But when I seen it bounce towards the hole... I was like NOOOOOOOO!!

Yeah, talk about a sinking feeling. When a 2 hour job turns into a 2-week job, scary stuff. I'm looking forward to the day I replace the VRO w/ a standard pump. Sure would be nice to get some real estate around those carbs.