Dropped the *!:*;#* wrench

Need help fishing a dropped wrench. Was working on the rear side window on a 68 Dart and dropped a 7/16 wrench down the inside of the quarter panel. It slid perfectly down the side between the inner rocker panel and the quarter panel. The wrench went right down to the belly of the rocker. Any ideas fishing it out. Tried everything I have or learned in the past to no avail. Magnets coat hangers, wire. The gap at the bottom must be the same width as the wrench. Need to get it out or may have a permanent rattle. Ideas please, or am I the only idiot who has done this. Thanks.

All I can say is



followed by

Semi flexible rod with some duct tape(sticky side out) on the end of it

I wonder...with a real strong magnet, from the outside of the body, could you drag the wrench back up the panel to where you can get hold of it. If your car is already in paint, use a soft cloth to protect the paint from the magnet. I can't really picture exactly where your wrench fell to, just thinking out loud...

Already tried it with earth magnets on the outside body with a piece is paper towel, no luck.

How about filling the void with spray in foam and let it be, if all else fails.

That's what came to mind as an all-end solution in my head as well.

Bendy magnets can be handy here, or the little grabber tools

I would be worried about spray foam holding moisture. If all else fails on B bodies there is an end cap on the rocker panel that could be removed and then welded back in. I imagine Darts are similar. That would be the least intrusive. Then put duct tape over the drop location. Can you remove the back seat and interior panel for better access to the location to use some of the magnet ideas?

Use a stiff, bent wire to dislodge it and a magnet to pull it out.

I used a slightly bent brazing rod long time ago, complete with a little booger of braze still on the end of it and fished a tool out years ago.

If the flex magnet or tape suggestions don't work from inside trunk/quarter, then try a Rare Earth magnet, which are strong. Place a microfiber rag over the magnet and place the magnet on the class A surface (outside quarter panel/rocker) where you believe it is. Once you feel/hear wrench drag it toward rear quarter (trunk area).

I used this type of magnet/process to assist operators locate torque converter nuts when dropped into trans housing during assembly (trans to fly wheel secure). There was no access hole at the bottom of trans, so the operators would place the magnet at the bottom of case then they dragged the magnet toward starter pocket where they were able to grab lost torque nut.

Perhaps you might find a small powerful electro magnet that might slurp the wrench out of it hiding place.

Perhaps a borescope to locate it so that you can fish it out

You could use one of those cheap usb borescopes to look inside and see what you are doing.

Turn the car upside down.

Buy a new wrench and forget about it... it's not going to rattle much if at all. Don't spray foam it. Cut apart a new challenger and see how the inside of the panels look with that crap in there.

If the car is pretty much complete, put two of those drive-on ramps on the opposite side and drive the car onto them. Maybe that angle will help you out.

I drove my Durango on two ramps placed on the same side. I was able to get the gas tank straps replaced that way.

If you don't have ramps, you can make some out of scrap 2x8s.
http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/News/mwramps/ramps7.JPG

Slim Jim..bend the corners out slightly to make a 'hook'...

that's what I was thinking tho it does mess with a persons' pride to leave it there. You've sure gotten alot of love on this one tho, I think it struck a nerve cuz we've all been there!

Isn't there a drain hole there you can push a wire through from the bottom and maybe dislodge it?

Being a 7/16 it can't be very big,don't loose sleep over it,forget it!

Years ago I dropped a bolt behind in the kick panel area on my car. I tied a magnet to the middle of a piece of string and pulled the string thru and the magnet grabbed the bolt and pulled it up after a few tries. No way was I going to leave it in there. Maybe you can feed a string from one of the drain slots up high?

If you have a farmers supply place around you can get a cow magnet and put it on the end of a wood dowel using a chunk of rubber hose. Cow magnets are narrow and can fit into tight spaces.

A couple of my daily drivers have
Swallowed up a few sockets over the years
If I can't fish it out it gets to the point of
Of cutting bait and moving on..

Dropped a 1/2 wrench in the fender of my 73 D100 over a decade ago, finally unbolted it for body work a while back and got my wrench back. Never rattled. Just leave it and move on.

Get a stick chew some gum when it gets sticky put it on the wrench and pull it out, ha if it works for monkeys why not moparts members!

lost a foot long flathead screwdriver inside an opel panelvan once, just gone, never found it

I have found that a bore scope is a handy tool for retrieving dropped treasurers.

Need to see the full picture of the exact situation to get a good idea, however something comes to mind!

The spray in foam idea can be somehow good, not to let it there, but fill all around the wrench ( on bottom better then on top) like a cast, with a wire inserted, then once dried pull out the wire to pull put the cast foam piece build with the wrench in it. The wire needs to be with a bent shape to be sure won't slide off the foam... maybe parallel to the wrench witn several bents.

Some light oil on rocker and quarter panel walls will help the foam to not stick to them.

Maybe sounds crazy but... who knows!

HTH let Wile E. Coyote in?

Well, has the wrench been located? If so, what suggestion worked?

get a mouse glue trap and take some of the glue and put it on a wire and that has worked for me!

Tried everything possible. A nylon pull tie was able to rattle it but that about it. Tried 10 earth magnets, sticky tape on the nylon tie, wire looping down there, no access from backside nothing worked. However it slid down, it has to come out the same way and exact location. The width under the rocker is the same width as the wrench. The side interior panel is now back on the car and the wrench will be sold with the car, if I ever decide to sell. No extra charge for the wrench. Thanks for all the suggestions.

rotisserie

That would bother me too much, I remember the time I had the complete dash out in pieces.
During the last step of putting it back in the car, I dropped 1 of the screws up by the windshield down the AC duct.
Wife told me not to worry, no 1 but you will know.
That's the problem, I will know. Had to take it all apart to get that screw.....

I'd get a HF borescope and see what's going on

you can buy a borescope at HF for about $60.
once you know exactly where it is, removing it will be much easier.

i bought one to verify a coolant leak in my Department Of Boost custom intake manifold for my mustang. they work pretty good, run on 4 AA batteries.

Exactly

Evidently he knows exactly where it is,just can't get it out.Also,still can't get over worrying about something that really doesn't matter unless that is the only 7/16" wrench you own!

Listen to the wife & if that wont work then yes purchase a rotisserie, ain't nothing you have tried so far has worked so its gonna have to be turned upside down. When you hear that wrench hit the cement floor you will be so relieved. We're pullin for ya!

Is the 7/16 wrench a design with a closed 6 or 12 point circle at one end?

My HF video boroscope has been well worth the sale price i bought it for, but its small camera head is still 9 mm in diameter, and it sounds like the clearances might be tighter than 9/25 of an inch?

If you get a wire that will touch the wrench, you might try two part epoxy. For it to set up the two chemical components must touch and mix some.

If you can get the epoxy chemical on one wire end, and then maneuver the wire to coat a spot on the wrench, then take an identical second wire with the chemical hardener on it and manuever its end to touch the wrench where the two chemicals can be left alone for the time to harden.

There is also glue that sets up only after Ultra Violet light is shined on it.

Good luck.

How many times have you forgot about things that you bought? This wrench will be forgotten too over time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly

What you need to do now is print off this discussion, seal it in a bag, and drop it in next to the wrench......

I have one of those, didn't get it on sale price but it has saved my bacon several times.

I'd try a shot of compressed air to see if it might dislodge it and move it to a position I could reach with a magnet or other device. You could try this through the drain holes down by the pinch welds.

Either turn the car upside down and shake it free, or pour glue down there so it don't rattle.

This is turning into most expensive wrench outside the military.

Or keep the car long enough and bottom quarter rust will prevail !!

I used the HF boroscope to fetch a lost wrench in my Lakewood bellhousing. on the scope I had, I was able to use a small hook on the end of it so not only can you see it, you can get the hook to grab easier.

Good luck

I used the HF boroscope to fetch a lost wrench in my Lakewood bellhousing. on the scope I had, I was able to use a small hook on the end of it so not only can you see it, you can get the hook to grab easier.

Good luck