SOS HELP dropped ecg diff bearing tool inside the diff

my puller portion of the ecg tool has fallen into the diff

has this happened to anyone?

need some help!!

 

dont stress, a flexible magnet should be able to retrieve it. absolute worst case is the diff has to opened, not hard to do. just time consuming

 

would this be retrieved through the drain hole or the cv shaft input hole?

 

thnx

 

Would it even fit through the drain hole? Isn't that smaller?

 

Really should not use that title unless your in trouble

 

well i guess its all relative. given the situation here i am in trouble but not life threatening lol.

appreciate all the constructive comments. ill head to the store and grab some different magnets and try to fish it out tomorrow. if that other member got it out the drain hole, i can too.

 

Ooof.... good luck. This looks like a real PITA. I watched the linked video in the linked thread where the guy got the piece out of his diff. All I can say is that if I were making that video it would probably get banned from the internets due to excessive profanity. This guy managed to keep his cool... or just curse offline perhaps.

 

I did the same thing and got it out, it takes patience. Which piece fell in?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ecgs-bushing-i’m-in-a-better-place.564238/

 

Sounds like a great reason for a re-gear and front locker!

 

I doubt a magnet will get it out because everything is metal. You need to get the piece to the drain hole, get some fishing line down there and through the drain hole then tie it to the piece and pull it back out through the axle opening. Helps if you've ever fished and tied lures and flies.

 

For future reference. Cram a plastic bag in the spider gear. And have it sit just flush with the back of needle bearing. That way, the tool can’t fall into the diff.

Also remember to inspect the needle bearing when you get it out. I broke mine when seating the puller.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ecgs-tip.720437/
.

 

thank you everyone. TW is among the best forum communities out there!

Im headed back to the garage to see how i can get this to happen. my truck is a work truck, not a crawler truck so installing the locker isnt really something i need to do. nor can my truck be down for that long.

so out i go to try to fish. if that fails i will be splitting the case and moving on.

 

You'll get it. Find the piece near the drain hole. It wont come out, but you'll be able to tie the line around it and pull back through the top.

 

Yes and yes

 

Yeah i am embarrassed to say....i did watch the video and i did start out with a plastic bag shoved in the hole.

The “puller” part of the tool is too big, by a hair. It simply will not rotate perpendicular once it goes in the hole.

So i consulted the TW oracle and i saw that on some trucks it wont fit. Apparently need to bevel the corners just a bit. OR it looks like others simply pound it in place damaging the bearing cage in the process. thats fine as its being swapped as long as the bore isnt damaged in the process.

So “just for giggles” incase the bag was the reason i couldnt get the puller adjusted perpendicular to the pulling dimension, i tried once without the bag.

in it went lol.

 

inserted borescope cam into hole. right into fluid. draining fluid now.

 

well the good news is that its sitting right at the drain hole. attempting to fish line in from top