dropped platic tip in tranny - Harley Forum

jp13 · #1 04-14-2009, 09:12 AM

Bad luck seems to follow me lately. Cut the tip off a mobil1 75w/90 oil and the tip, (plastic) fell directly into the tranny. I cannot see it in there. I will fish around in there with a hose hooked to my dry-vac. Will it hurt anything in the trans being plastic? I feel like a total fool! Thanks for any suggestions!!!!

Bigincher · #2 04-14-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp13

Will it hurt anything in the trans being plastic?

Nope, won't hurt a thing. As long as you don't start the bike.

Your vacuum-hose idea is what I would try, too. Don't move any gears until you get it out, don't want it to get lodged between gears.

jp13 · #3 04-14-2009, 06:42 PM

could not get it out. I tried for 2 hrs. I filled it back up and will run for awhile and drain. It will chew it up. I just wish I could of got it but no go.

shovelmike · #4 04-14-2009, 07:42 PM

Bummer JP, that kind of thing really messes up your day. That tip is hard enough plastic that I wouldn't want to be truckin' along at 75 when it decides to get caught in between gears. Chances are it will just lie on the bottom of the tranny from now on but it would be peace of mind if it would come rolling out that drain hole. Keep tryin to flush that puppy outa' there.
Ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike.

Bigincher · #5 04-14-2009, 08:14 PM

I would NOT run it. Oh yeah, it'll chew it up, and then where are the little pieces of chewed-up plastic going to end up? Go to the hardware store and get yourself a gallon of kerosene, flush that trans out until you get that out of there. Do you really want to risk trashing your tranny?

evoKENevo · #6 04-14-2009, 08:35 PM

I have'nt done much HD trans work (opposed to other makes) other than changing fluid and clutch cables etc. So I've hesitated putting my 2 cents in here. But on the HD transmissions I have tinkered with the filler plug has been on the trans cover. Is it possible you could simply pull the trans cover on yours and find that little tip laying there...playing hard to get...or at least be easier to fish around for it etc...or is that how you've already been doing it vs the filler and/or drain holes.

One thing for sure...like others have said...I would'nt risk running it the way it is..just too many "what-ifs" involved.

frisco-rigid · #7 04-15-2009, 12:46 AM

Hey JP

I like your Manashevitz..

Sometimes we just gotta say "Screw-it and Do-it" baby..
It's when we go against All common sense and especially Popular Opinion and try something we know we shouldn't,, and WoW,, everything works out just peachy..

Slightly similar to you I blew out a "new-style" wafer throw-out bearing 30 miles from home in the 70's.. No Cell phones and no phone booths out in the middle of No-Where with a Honey on the back..
It was either set and wait for someone to stop on this sparsley traveled road and make a call for me,, take off the Kicker cover & clean out what I could but lose the fluid or,,, well, what do you think I did..?????
I said screw-it & do it..
I had to reach down and pull the Mouse-trap bell-crank to get clutch action over the twisty roads but Home was where I was headed..
In my shop I simply removed the Kick cover cleaned it all out, flushed the heck outa the unit by leaning the sickle right & left to help flush the entire tranny and bolted back on the Kick cover..
All those tiny ball-bearings came out both whole and crushed up but that tranny rode another 100K miles just as it was.. Of course I have used Old-Style Liberty Bell throw-out bearings ever since..

You see-----now you will have a tale of "I shouldn'ta but I did" and hopefully it'll be fine for you too..

I'd rather be lucky than good

evoKENevo · #8 04-15-2009, 06:24 AM

Yeah...if for some reason I'd gotten it in my head to change my trans fluid on some sparsely traveled road

and only managed to drop just a small piece of plastic into the the trans without the tools handy to get at it and/or cell phone,etc...I'd probably risk riding it sensibly home to fix,too. But,uhhh....'nuff

said !?!

Bigincher · #9 04-15-2009, 10:03 AM

Lost me there for a minute---- I thought we were talking about the plastic tip of an oil bottle accidentally dropped into trans, not losing throwout bearing many miles from home. Pretty dramatic difference, I'd say.

Those of us that have been around awhile have all had our share of that kind of road-side decisions to make, but the man is in his shop, ferchrissakes.

jp13 · #10 04-15-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evoKENevo

I have'nt done much HD trans work (opposed to other makes) other than changing fluid and clutch cables etc. So I've hesitated putting my 2 cents in here. But on the HD transmissions I have tinkered with the filler plug has been on the trans cover. Is it possible you could simply pull the trans cover on yours and find that little tip laying there...playing hard to get...or at least be easier to fish around for it etc...or is that how you've already been doing it vs the filler and/or drain holes.

One thing for sure...like others have said...I would'nt risk running it the way it is..just too many "what-ifs" involved.

I went thru the filler with dry-vac and tried thru the drain also. I have no idea where it went. I can't believe that it fell in and went to the right where the gears are. I have no idea where it went. What kind of job is to remove trans cover, kinda think my pipes are in the way. I will check when I get home. Alot of work for such stupidty on my part. The part that fell in is the little blue cover, it is real flimsy.