Triumphrat

dazco · 10-30-2006, 09:28 PM

I may be looking at selling my bike for about 1/3 or less of what it's worth is i can't find a way to rectify this problem. '05 speedmaster. I was finishing off a valve adjustment when one of those copper banjo washers on the oil line fell into the case. i was about ready to shoot myself till i thought of a possible solution. But i need someone who knows the inside of these engines well to tell me if this will work, or if not if there are any other solutions. It's not a magnetic part by the way, so magnets aren't an option.

heres my idea which i got looking at the OEM parts exploded views and the manual. The oil sump is a pan under the engine which appears to pqartially be under the cylinders. I'm thinking if i drain the oil with a strainer in case the washer flows out, then remove the sump, maybe the washer will be in the sump if it didn't already drain out. Then if not in the sump, put a clean drain pan under the engine and pur cheap oil down the cam chain hole where it fell and see if i can flush it out. lastly, a mirror and one of those flexable lights to inspect. But i don't know what kind of access there is to the cam chain area of the crank or if there is a wall of something that would block the washer from being flushed out the sump.

I'd really appriciate any help, butcause if i can't get that thing out i'm as screwed as screwed can be.

Garyhjd · 10-30-2006, 10:36 PM

Dazco,

I did roughly the same thing once when working on my Alfa. Drained the oil and found nothing, pulled the sump and sitting right there was the little bit that fell through. Problem solved for the cost of some Italian oil and a very expensive gasket. But hopefully the washer will flow with the oil and come straight out. But if you have to pull the oil pan that should solve the problem.

Sorry I can't give you an answer about the twin, but I don't have one. Hopefully someone with more experience can answer it for you.

Gary

dazco · 10-31-2006, 01:04 AM

Thanks Gary. I've gotten some positive feedback about this very likely working and every response like yours really helps ease my mind. Tomorrow i won't have time to mess with it much, but i will have a bit of time in the morning to drain the oil and hopefully i'll find it in the strainer. But if not removing the sump is no big deal, especially compared to the alternative ! Won't be able to get to that till the weekend tho probably.

Wombat · 10-31-2006, 01:45 AM

I am thinking that it can't be too big a deal to get the washer out where ever it has landed.

Consider what is involved to install a big-bore kit and what that would cost for a dealer to do it.

Mojoinco · 10-31-2006, 07:46 AM

I once lost a lock nut for a valve lash screw on a Virago (while it was running). Found it when I rebuilt the top end. Since I didn't know it was lost (except for the loud tapping) I didn't know it was in there. As I was 300 miles from home, it was where it was. Better to find it if you can. At least it is copper, not a steel 12mm nut!

Asmith · 11-01-2006, 02:18 AM

Hey Daz, you may have set a record around here. I think its been almost a month since you last threatened to sell your bike for one reason or another! Good show mate.

Vegas

dazco · 11-01-2006, 11:59 AM

Gee, you're a real helpful sort aren't ya? :roll:

bigern2300 · 11-01-2006, 08:23 PM

As crazy as this may sound, but it comes from the "seen it work before" department....pull the engine, remove the valve cover(s), turn the engine upside down and shake out the offending part. Sounds crazy, but it beats tearing apart a motor. Bigern

BadMouth · 11-06-2006, 10:38 PM

I'm not familiar with the twins at all, but I know people have successfully retrieved small parts from car engines with a shop vac and a home-made adapter. They went in through the spark plug hole. Just make sure the vac is clean enough to find the part, so you know that you've gotten it.

(edit: I read your thread a little more carefully and it seems I really didn't understand where the washer fell)

[ This message was edited by: BadMouth on 2006-11-06 21:15 ]

sweatmachine · 11-07-2006, 04:20 PM

the only thing you could suck out of the spark plug hole is some carbon off the top of a piston...