Automotive Electromagent

  • Thread starter Thread starter Les & Claire
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Les & Claire

Hi there!
Right, i've dropped a small nut down into the interior of
my timing cover whilst changing a water pump on my Volvo. This normally
means a huge strip down for a stupid mistake. But, I surmised that as the
cover is plastic and open at the top, I have 12 - 15V DC easily available
and a multitude of steel / iron tools I could wind a coil round an iron rod,
then connect it accross the terminals of the cars battery. Thus forming an
electromagnet to "tickle" the nut up the front of the plastic cover until I
can recover it.

What i'm worried about is that i'm basically making a dead short accross the
terminals. Am I right in thinking that it's the length / thickness of the
copper wire that will cause enough resistance to protect the battery? If so,
how long is safe? ( Hmmm, this appears to be a "How long is a piece of
string" question ) Is this a way to get out of a bind, or a way to wreck the
battery?

Les



--
http://www.stuffmongers.com

"Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission
natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep within
ourselves and decide what we wish to become."
Edward O. Wilson
Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge

Remove frontal lobes to reply from a NG
 
Because there's more to the internet than hits alone, Les & Claire
wrote:
Hi there!
Right, i've dropped a small nut down into the interior of
my timing cover whilst changing a water pump on my Volvo. This normally
means a huge strip down for a stupid mistake.
Click to expand...

I don't get what the problem is. Is the K engine radically different
to the other red blocks?

Just remove the crank pulley and the bottom part of the timing cover.
In fact I bet you could get a small nut out without taking the pulley
off - just flex the plastic cover a little.


--

Stewart Hargrave

Never wear a hat that has more character than you - Utah Philips


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
Les & Claire said:
Hi there!
Right, i've dropped a small nut down into the interior of
my timing cover whilst changing a water pump on my Volvo. This normally
means a huge strip down for a stupid mistake. But, I surmised that as the
cover is plastic and open at the top, I have 12 - 15V DC easily available
and a multitude of steel / iron tools I could wind a coil round an iron rod,
then connect it accross the terminals of the cars battery. Thus forming an
electromagnet to "tickle" the nut up the front of the plastic cover until I
can recover it.

What i'm worried about is that i'm basically making a dead short accross the
terminals. Am I right in thinking that it's the length / thickness of the
copper wire that will cause enough resistance to protect the battery? If so,
how long is safe? ( Hmmm, this appears to be a "How long is a piece of
string" question ) Is this a way to get out of a bind, or a way to wreck the
battery?

Les



--
http://www.stuffmongers.com

"Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission
natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep within
ourselves and decide what we wish to become."
Edward O. Wilson
Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge

Remove frontal lobes to reply from a NG
Click to expand...

Many hundreds of turns would be necessary..... And experiments could be
bloody dangerous!!!!

Why not just securely glue a magnet onto a plastic or wooden rod????.... Or
use a large magnet such as that from a speaker to magnatise a metal rod???
 
LaoFuZhi said:
Many hundreds of turns would be necessary..... And experiments could be
bloody dangerous!!!!
Click to expand...

Right. Think of how much wire makes up the coil in a relay. Give this
idea up.
Why not just securely glue a magnet onto a plastic or wooden rod????.... Or
use a large magnet such as that from a speaker to magnatise a metal rod???
Click to expand...

Or buy a magnet on a telescopic rod (like an antenna) and / or on a
flexable shaft, available from tool supply places. Every toolbox should
have these things.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)
 
Mike said:
Or buy a magnet on a telescopic rod (like an antenna) and / or on a
flexable shaft, available from tool supply places. Every toolbox
should have these things.
Click to expand...

just got one of those very devices......

Les

--
http://www.stuffmongers.com

"Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission
natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep
within ourselves and decide what we wish to become." Edward O. Wilson
Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge

Remove frontal lobes to reply from a NG
 
Les said:
just got one of those very devices......

Les
Click to expand...


Well, loosened bottom cover as much as possible and even with magnetic
probe can not find the nut. Could it have dropped into the sump? Is it open
to the sump from the timing gear? I really don't want to leave it in there
if I can help it.
If i'm to find it i will have to remove bottom pulley. This means
tools. I'm on a tight budget, what's the easiest, cheapest way to get the
thing off? I see tales of special volvo tools, "jamming" cogs, etc.

so, I buy a socket to fit.... what next? any tips for hassle free
removal?

What makes this worse is knowing IT'S ALL MY DAMN FAULT FOR RUSHING IN THE
FIRST PLACE!!!! AAaargh!

Les




--
http://www.stuffmongers.com

"Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission
natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep
within ourselves and decide what we wish to become." Edward O. Wilson
Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge

Remove frontal lobes to reply from a NG
 
Why not just securely glue a magnet onto a plastic or wooden rod????.... Or
use a large magnet such as that from a speaker to magnatise a metal rod???
Click to expand...

Why not use just either the speaker itself? A telescopic magnet like
you can buy in car accessory shops? A big magnet?

David.
 
Or buy a magnet on a telescopic rod (like an antenna) and / or on a
flexable shaft, available from tool supply places. Every toolbox should
have these things.
Click to expand...

Quite, they're powerful too, will pick up a spanner.
 
Because there's more to the internet than hits alone, Les & Claire
wrote:

Well, loosened bottom cover as much as possible and even with magnetic
probe can not find the nut. Could it have dropped into the sump? Is it open
to the sump from the timing gear?
Click to expand...

No. The sump doesn't connect through to the timing gear - there'd be
oil everywhere, if it did.
I really don't want to leave it in there
if I can help it.
Click to expand...

I think you're right. It *probably* wouldn't do anything, and just sit
there until the timing belt is next changed. But it *might* get caught
up in the belt and do damage.

How about:

Use double sided tape to fasten a smallish magnet (fridge magnet? -
maybe not strong enough) to the timing belt. Turn the engine over by
hand (so that the magnet avoids the tensioner), and back again; see if
it picks up the nut.

Or...

Pour a strong mixture of sulphuric acid down the timing cover, and
dissolve the nut...Err, no?

Or...

Buy the socket to fit the pulley. Consider it an investment, and
change your own timing belt next time. In fact it wouldn't be such a
bad idea to change the timing belt now (check tensioner, too), unless
it's reletively new. But if your budget is seriously tight this may
not be an option.


--

Stewart Hargrave

Never wear a hat that has more character than you - Utah Philips


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
Stewart said:
How about:

Use double sided tape to fasten a smallish magnet (fridge magnet? -
maybe not strong enough) to the timing belt. Turn the engine over by
hand (so that the magnet avoids the tensioner), and back again; see if
it picks up the nut.
Click to expand...

Stewart,

This works very well, satisfying "click" as it picks up the nut. Also,
if you lever the pump upwards using top of alternator mounting as a fulcrum
( I used rubber handle of small hammer )you can seal the top ring first
time. Thus avoiding the stripdown and chaos I created for myself.

Thanks for the help! ( Big sigh of relief! )

les



--
http://www.stuffmongers.com

"Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission
natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep
within ourselves and decide what we wish to become." Edward O. Wilson
Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge

Remove frontal lobes to reply from a NG
 
You need to complete the supplying of your toolbox, Les . . .

One of the handier pieces to have is the *strong* magnet mounted at the
end of a piece of spring(?) about 3' long. This pairs nicely with the
similar tool that has a plunger at the one end (like a hypodermic
syringe) and three strips (2mm x 6cm) that will extend from the
"business" end, each with a right-angle "hook" - great for picking up
things that can be seen or, with enopugh "fishing" time, not seen but
felt.

bob noble
Reno, NV, USA
 
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