When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Dropped a Spark Plug Socket down between the engine and the leaf spring. It is stuck good right in the middle of the leaf spring and engine, can't move the socket at all. Is there a way to get this thing out of there? Will it just fall out while driving? What is the best way to release some tension off the spring?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks.
The very same happened to me in exactly the way you described it and in the exact location. I had to jack it up and still took me 30 minutes to move it pull it to get it off, scratched the spring a little bit but better than leaving there as it might have caused more damage to the spring as the suspension traveled up and down while driving. I suggest you do not leave it there, remove it any way you can.
Some good suggestions were offered. I personally would get it out, by whatever means that it takes. I also dropped a socket in the same place, and getting it out was hard, but doable. I had my car jacked up pretty high at the time, and it was still difficult to get anything in there.
I agree with the rest. Get it out. It would eventually fall out, but it would probably end up in someones windshield too.
Try jacking up the car then getting something under the tires to make the spring flex the other way a little.
If you have to completely remove the spring you'll need to disconnect the shocks and upper control arms before unbolting the spring holder bracket.
The best story like this that I have is that I dropped my fuel pump relay and it somehow ended up under the heat shield for the motor mount. Took almost an hour to find it and another to retrieve. And then there's the fun of retrieving header bolts from inside the pipes right before they merge.
Why not jack up the car and put it on jack stands, remove the two bottom engine mount nuts and put a jack under the engine oil pan (of coarse put a piece of wood between the jack and oil pan)lift the engine 1/4-1/2 inch and used a magnet to remove the socket.
Ok, I will try my best to get that sucker out of there.
Thanks.
You need to try jacking the car some way to allow the spring to flex so that some clearance is added. Try jacking from beneath the A-arm on one side or the other or from under the cross member (to allow both sides of suspension to droop). Use hockey pucks or wood squares on the jack saddle to avoid any damage to the suspension members.
Sounds silly to even say it, but make sure you have it safely jacked/supported in two ways. Don't want to read about a "collapsed" jack or lift and person trapped beneath. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Ah yes....these are the kind of things they never cover on "Garage Fix"...LOL. Kepp trying...you'll get it but you may wind up with a few dings on your hand. I would think there should really be any leaf spring tension on it if you haven't driven it since dropping it or haven't jacked it up yet. So the tightness would have to be a gravity fed (from the drop) type of thing which shouldn't be too hard to overcome. Good luck.
I'd bite the bullet ....take it to a dealer and have them put it up on a lift and get it out....course I'm near 70yrs old and can't begin to do work under there like i used to!!
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
Dropped socket need help.
