5.M0NSTER

So I brought the car back from winter Hibernation yesterday. I connected the battery and, warmed it up and took it our for the spin. It felt SO good to drive a Mustang again!

But in the process I dropped my socket right next to the battery. It bounced off the spark plug cover, I heard 2 more bounces inside the engine bay, and it never cam out the bottom. I feel like a an idiot.

I searched high and low. I got the car on ramps, dropped the oil change access panel, and I looked from the top and from under the car and I found nothing. I even checked the lower control arm channel. No idea where it could be hiding

Of course I took the car for a short drive after I gave up searching, so it may already have taken care of itself.... or maybe it's still there? I don't think there are any moving engine components in that area, just suspension and header, but it doesn't feel good knowing there is a 2.5" long socket down there.

Have you had something similar happen? Any ideas where I should look?

SpectreH

I haven't had that happen on the Mustang yet, but the Corvair I own has been known to eat sockets.

rmurer

I had it happen when i was doing the supercharger install, seriously i feel like the car ate it, then a week or two later i think it fell out while i was driving.

tom281

Same thing for me a few years ago. Fell out while driving, at first I thought I broke something because it happened at low speed and I heard it hit the steer then bounce up and kit the under carriage.

bones302

happened while I was installing the battery. was able to find it and use one of those magnets on a stick to get it out.

SONICBOOST

I dropped a part for my oil catch can into the engine bay during install. Couldn't find it from the top of the bay so I put the car on jacks. When I unscrewed the oil cover it dropped right out.

Jazzman442

Yup it has. it is a pain. I usually get a long magnet and start prodding around and it will finally be found. Good Luck. I think if you are working on a car it will happen.

rmurer

a right of passage if you will

2k7gtcs

I dropped a bolt when doing the headers. I was working on it from above. I heard it hit metal and then nothing. I looked all over the ground and couldn't find a thing. I looked and looked all over them I notice the k member is hollow and has openings in it. I can't see anything at all and figure it went in there. A couple of years later I come across a magnet on the end of a long articulating stick with a screwdriver handle. About 18" or so. I buy it and stick it into one of the hills openings in the k member and click. The bolt was still there and now it's out.

houtex

Sockets, bolts, screws, nuts, and even the occasional *wrench* (small, like 1/4" or such) have all been lost in many an engine bay that I've worked on, never to be seen again.

But so far on Awesome, she's not eaten any of those. Nor Ride.

Either I'm gettin' better, or I have at last appeased the gods of 'feed me hardware from your work.'

As far as worrying... don't. Unless you can find the thing, it will eventually work itself out and all you'll know about it is a random "what was that?" as it flies under your car, bounces on the ground, back into the floorpan, and then out of your life, never to return.

Be free, socket! Your day has arrived!

Getportfolio

Happens all the time. No worries as it will fall out.

I got a worse one: losing one of the spoiler bolts inside the decklid. It rattles around as you drive. Lol

GrnT

Yes I have, You'll be driving down the road and hear a bang on the bottom of the car as it bounces off the road. I just lost a Cowl retainer down by my battery box just recently.

5.M0NSTER

Thanks guys. All this makes me feel better. I do have a magnet on a telescoping rod. I'll try to go fish around a bit. Thank you all for the moral support.

SpeedCostsMoney

2k7gtcs

I was at the 2012 auto show in Dallas and the 2013 GT500 was there. A guy was taking pics of the engine bay with a smart phone and dropped in the engine bay.

He couldn't find it. Best guess was it was laying on top of the underbody panel under the radiator.

mustangfan410

I didnt drop a bolt in my engine bay but I did drop one on my driveway. I should also mention that my driveway is gravel so that little son of a ***** blended in with the rocks. I almost gave up looking for it before I saw a little reflection and found it. I just bought one of those extendable magnetics so that doesn't happen again.

=HYPERDRIVE=

I dropped one of those round plastic clips ,that hold the plastic radiator cover. As its not a metal part, I heard it bounce 3 times, then never to be seen again..... That reminds me, I still got to get a replacement for it.

CCTking

This happnened to me when inwas installing my MMD ducktail! Cept it was both central screws. I actually undid the bolts on my trunk lid and took it off, shook it like a madman and they both fell out. Got some line lock, placed my lid in the grass on top of newspaper and cardboard and screwed em in nice and tight.
I gotta say taking the factory lip was tough, removing all adhesive was nearly impossible, putting the new wing on took 5 mins lol

corvettedreamin

Wait.... "Oil change cover?". Must be the underbody aero panel, right? I'm sure they didn't put a cover in for the oil changes. :-P

I need the 10mm socket of the month club subscription. I lose them all the time. But I've never lost one for good in an engine bay.

SplitSecond

This thread makes me laugh. I too have lost an occasional socket in an engine bad and I don't worry about it. When I bough my Subaru which at the time had a recent top end rebuild I found pliers, sockets, and a couple extensions in there. I wonder how much was/is in there that that I didnt find or fell out. Someone was having a really bad day keeping track of tools lol.