Balls are jammed !
Turbo Mini Forums

I,ve just done something really stupid.I was assembling the door internals on my (non-Mini) car and dropped a small ball bearing, which lodged just inside the door,I thought, get the magnetic Snap-On screwdriver and pick it up -easy.The screwdriver did not have a bit in it at the time so the ball disappeared up the hexagonal recess, where it fits perfectly.
Any clever ideas how I,m ever going to get it out ?.

A more powerful magnet at the open end ???
Or get adventurous and wrap some heavy cable around it to make an electromagnet of the reverse field and apply car battery....
To get the reverse field to the installed magnet will be trial and error - 50% chance of getting it right first time....

edit for spelling

Edited by Rod S on 12th Jul, 2008.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Put it through a large socket and smack it against the socket so the force will be greater than the pull of the magnet.

Tony

The stronger magnet idea is best,but where do I get one(and at what cost?)The idea of shocking it out wont work because the magnet pulls it back in straight away.I think I,m going to cut the end off, put it in the lathe,drill through and push it out and then weld it together again -this will destroy the magnetism of course, but that might be a good thing in view if what I did.The really stupid thing is that I have a perfectly good magnetic retrieval tool anyway!.Just shows, the older you get the dafter you get.

swing the screwdriver around your head very quickly in a small confined space, works for me every time

Drives
-Ford S-max Mk2 Ecoboost
-Rover 100 VVC #2 - track project

Searching is all you need on TurboMinis

LOL @ Snakeii

Warning:Stig in Training

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Ask the snap on man to fix it :)

Tried the swinging bit with a cat - didnt work with that either.Snap On man said fuck off I,m not a magician.If you hear reports of electrical disturbances in Southern England,that,ll be me then trying the electromagnetic force idea.Its been great, really listening to your combined intellect but I think the best idea is to pass the hat round and buy a new one.(I,ve only had it about 27 years)