this was one of those freak things. I had the rad. cap off and was moving some tools. A screwdriver slipped out of my hand and was about to hit my fender...i reacted by trying to knock it out of the way with my forearm and it went STRAIGHT down into my radiator! all i heard was a "bloop". Didnt even make contact with the rim! how do i possibly get this out?! will it be ok to drive until i can get it out? Its about 8" long screwdriver (my favorite phillips, too!)

3 things I can think of.... all of which be VERY careful at doing, it's just as if you're performing surgery, haha.

1. Use one one of those telescoping rods, with a magnetic tip, you can find them for a buck or two at the parts store. That would be the easiest way to do it.

2. If you got some REALLY long needle nose, you might be able to get them down there, but most people don't have that type.

3.... Now we're getting creative, you can get a coat hanger and bend it into a hoop/hook to fish down there.

Next time... yeah, don't let that happen.

I like the mag pickup tool. If the cheaper one doesn't work I would invest in a good one for about 15-20 bucks, I found they work a lot better

#3 or pull the rad. & flip it upside down

how do i possibly get this out?! will it be ok to drive until i can get it out? Its about 8" long screwdriver (my favorite phillips, too!)
If its handle side down using a magnet would be the easiest way.It the metal part of the screwdriver is facing down it may be a little tougher to fish out.Don't go poking around with anything that could pierce the side tank,they are very thin especially the replacement or parts store type rads.Worse comes to worse you could leave it in there until the next chance you get to empty it and turn the rad upside down to remove it.

all good ideas... i thought about flipping the rad upside down.. the screwdriver has a plastic handle but i think the very top is metal. Ill try the magnet but hope the rad. doesnt attract the magnet before it gets to the screwdriver.
Its all the way at the bottom.. my needle nose won't reach. is it harmful to drive with it in there?

I would say SWOOSH:D Seriously, might hurt your flow some but I doubt it would hurt anything .
You could also buy a grabber, which is a great tool to have anyhow. It is a long flexable rod and you push a button on the top and 3 grabber fingers come out the bottom, release the button and you can grab just about anything. If it fell in handle up, you probably won't be able to get it with a magnet but you never know.
Good Luck

Been there on that one, Had a buddy that dropped one in my radiator while he was F*&%ing around. He told me about 6 months later. Never hurt nothing but later on I had to pull the radiator and out cam the screwdriver, the plastic handle was a little out of shape from the heat though.

all good ideas... i thought about flipping the rad upside down.. the screwdriver has a plastic handle but i think the very top is metal. Ill try the magnet but hope the rad. doesnt attract the magnet before it gets to the screwdriver.
Its all the way at the bottom.. my needle nose won't reach. is it harmful to drive with it in there?

The radiator won't attract the magnet. Brass and aluminum are both non-ferrous metals.

Had a regular customer that had a leak in his radiator. I pulled it and when my boss turned it over to see the spot that needed repaired a screwdriver fell out. It had rattled around in there for who knows how long before it wore through the bottom.

I would say SWOOSH:D Seriously, might hurt your flow some but I doubt it would hurt anything .
You could also buy a grabber, which is a great tool to have anyhow. It is a long flexable rod and you push a button on the top and 3 grabber fingers come out the bottom, release the button and you can grab just about anything. If it fell in handle up, you probably won't be able to get it with a magnet but you never know.
Good Luck

Harbor freight has these. looks like a cable with a pusbutton on one end. They can be very useful, cheap too.

My $0.02

Any decent local hardware store will have them. Very handy item for non auto situations too! I know, I've needed it!

Good luck on getting that dude out! Reminded me of the other day I got lucky, I dropped a small screwdriver down my intake hole on my s-10 while cleaning out the carbon luckily I was using one of those small ones that was two headed. I stuck my magnetic telescope rod down there and lifted it right out. feeewww!! I was lucky hope you have the same luck!!!

the best magnet tool ive found is the type with which look likes heavy solder wire so you can bend and shape it however you want, unfortunatly, i cant remember where i got it nor have i seen one around lately and id like to replace mine since it also works great for transferring odd shapes (ive also used it mock up a couple friends throttle linkage) for fabrication and its getting kind of worn...anyone know who carries these?

If it's handle up, and if you can see it, there's a last resort before pulling the radiator. Drain the radiator. Duct tape a paper towel folded over a few times to the end of a 3/8th inch 3 ft long wooden dowel ($1. at Home Despot). Put some alcohol on the towel, reach down into the radiator and carefully swab the end of the handle off to make sure it's clean. Do this a couple of times to remove anti freeze from at least a dime sized spot on the handle end. Then remove the towel from the dowel and put a SMALL dab of PC-7 (r JB Weld) on the end of the dowel. Insert it into the rad, being EXTREMELY CAREFUL not to touch the core or sides, and lightly press it onto the end of the screwdriver. Now leave it alone overnight. The next morning you will have a screwdriver with 3 ft long handle. Lift it gentley out and cut the dowel off the handle and sand it smooth to save your favorite screwdriver.

Buy a very big rotessorie.

Honestly, I would just remove it & turn it upside down.. Really not a big job.. Also, much better then it hitting the fender :thumbsup:

Buy a very big rotessorie.

giggle....

giggle....

me too

UPDATE: I found a small magnet and hung it from some fishing line. I stuck it down in there and i felt it immediately catch. it pulled right up. I stuck it down there again just to see if it sticks to anything in the radiator and i pulled up a 1/2 deep socket???!!! coool....i was missing that one. I have no ide how that got in there AT ALL!

Damnit, You need to keep that hole covered...

I say 69ssmike is right. might hurt flow but I would leave it in till you need to take it out. If its a snap on or mac and the handle does distort you can get it replaced. Though the radiator os not a big deal to R&R.

UPDATE: I found a small magnet and hung it from some fishing line. I stuck it down in there and i felt it immediately catch. it pulled right up. I stuck it down there again just to see if it sticks to anything in the radiator and i pulled up a 1/2 deep socket???!!! coool....i was missing that one. I have no ide how that got in there AT ALL!


LMAO!!! Put that magnet in every tight spot on your car, you might end up needing a new toolbox for all the tools you'll find!!! :D :D

UPDATE: I found a small magnet and hung it from some fishing line. I stuck it down in there and i felt it immediately catch. it pulled right up. I stuck it down there again just to see if it sticks to anything in the radiator and i pulled up a 1/2 deep socket???!!! coool....i was missing that one. I have no ide how that got in there AT ALL!

Well for cryin out loud. Dont stop there. Keep fishin, you may be able to fill your toolbox up.

All this time I've been carrying my spare tools in the trunk where they can rust. Whodathunk?

I bet Jimmy Hoffa is down in that radiator!

Damnit, You need to keep that hole covered...

Maybe you can find a cap in there to cover that durn hole!:waving:

Can I buy your radiator? I need some new tools.

UPDATE: I found a small magnet and hung it from some fishing line. I stuck it down in there and i felt it immediately catch. it pulled right up. I stuck it down there again just to see if it sticks to anything in the radiator and i pulled up a 1/2 deep socket???!!! coool....i was missing that one. I have no ide how that got in there AT ALL!

So, did you weigh it, take pictures, then put it back? (Catch and release!)...

Mount the radiator up side down and that won't be a problem, although it makes it kinda tricky to fill!:D

oh, you guys are funny! Its a new radiator too! just a few weeks ago i found a 3/4" socket rollling around in my front frame rail! I've been hearing that SOB for 3 years!

I remember the time I dropped a hammer down my radiator. Man was it ever a bitch to get it out again. I have also run over various items by mistake with different vehicles over the years. Items such as $8000 camera lense with my jeep(crushed it like a pancake), 4-5 cell phones, video camera, circular saw, wood planer, hockey bag with equipment, and a photocopier. Trust me, I am not as much of a klutz as it seems. These WERE accidents.

Were you driving bigfoot? Those are some pretty big things you've run over!

No..I ran over the camera lens with my Jeep CJ7 which had 35 inch mudders, the cell phones with various cars (mustang 5.0, corsica, pariesienne, dodge reliant) video cam was with my corsica, circular saw and wood planer was with my dads caravan and was his equipment, photocopier was with goverment vehicle and hockey bag was with my chevelle just last month. I also forgot to metion the time I backed up over my brothers 5000 dollar mountain bike with HIS truck and wrapped it around the axle of his truck. He seemed a little miffed at me over that one even though it was his fault.

Most of the mishaps (with the exception of the hockey equipment) were not my fault.

More proof as to why Im now understanding why my parents yelled at me for leaving stuff in the driveway. I get after my kids all the time about it. I just know one of these days Im gonna get a skateboard or bicycle. I have actually thought about running one over on purpose just to teach them. But that would be mean and cost me more money.

Pulled the front clip off of my car last week. Hadnt been off since I built the car in 97. Found my dads Snap-ON screwdriver, rusted to hell, resting between the fender and inner fender.

He questioned me about that screwdriver for 2-3 years.......

Next month is his birthday........ cheap present!

I have actually thought about running one over on purpose just to teach them. But that would be mean and cost me more money.

It would teach them how to quickly upgrade their stuff. :D

My folks used to remove the item in question (hide it) and make up a story about it getting stolen run over, whatever. Then return it when the lesson was learned.

You could also use some C4.
Good luck!

Try a flex-fan blade. I warned my students about the crap flex-fans breaking off. His dad was reving his big block and he saw something flying into the air-stuck- in the garage roof.