Lost battery terminal nut somewhere on bike

[spaceghost]

Hey all,

I've been trying to get my bike (first one) started for a couple days now. Good news is: I figured out the problem! It was the battery, and I have a new one on the way.

Bad news is: I dropped a battery terminal nut somewhere while installing the charged faulty battery. I spent at least an hour looking all over for it, I'm convinced it's somewhere on the motorcycle. From what I can tell, the worst case scenario is it fell in this hole that the filtered air gets sucked into:



I looked in there best I could, but saw nothing. I rocked the bike around, but have found nothing. Finally, I had enough and tried to start the bike. I was pleased I got it running, and I didn't hear it rattling around, but I'm fearful that somehow the nut got into the carburetor or something and will somehow wreak havoc.

Again, I'm new to motorcycles and mechanics, so my question is: Am I justified in being nervous about using the motorcycle and not finding this nut?

 

[Burque73]

Sure seems like you'd have to fling it into that intake, rather than simply dropping it.
What bike is that? Airboxes come off, just remove it and shake it around. Maybe tie a magnet to a string and go fishing.
If it is in there its pretty heavy to get sucked in. More likely on the bottom of the air box I'd think.

When you put the new battery in, snip a tuny piece of hose, battery vent hose or vacuum hose, and stuff it under the nut. It'll keep it in place.

 

[cowboyup3371]

You don't say what model bike you have and so I'll just make an assumption here. I would check very carefully around the chain, on top of and in between the swingarm and the frame, inside the wiring area.

 

[spaceghost]

My apologies guys, it's a 1982 GS750T.

This is driving me nuts, I'm going to go to Advanced Auto Parts tomorrow morning to grab a telescoping magnet. Do you think turning the motorcycle on and revving it could've caused the nut to get sucked in?

 

[hillsy]

Do you think turning the motorcycle on and revving it could've caused the nut to get sucked in?

No.

The nut is probably wedged in a nook in the frame somewhere.

 

[cowboyup3371]

My apologies guys, it's a 1982 GS750T.

If I may recommend, please put this information into your signature so you don't have to remember to tell us every time you ask a question about it

 

[sam000lee]

If the nut got sucked into the actual intake you would definitely know.

 

[Steve]

But the chance of that happening is somewhere between ZERO and NONE.

.

 

[BigD_83]

I've found small parts stuck in and around the cooling fins, the channel at the back of the engine under the long engine mount bolt, just sitting beside the starter motor cover, and many other places. I'm sure a couple had been there through a few previous owners.

I've also managed to find one or two nuts, springs, and sorts a long way away from where they were dropped (like 5 feet outside the garage door), so there is a chance it got away. If not, I wouldn't fret. There's no chance it ended up in the top end of your engine, and there are no openings to allow it into the bottom end.

 

[spaceghost]

Tried again last night to find it with a telescoping magnet, no luck.

I'm just going to try to forget about it and move on with my life. Thank you all for easing my mind.

 

[steve murdoch]

As Cowboy suggested, a check around the chain and sprockets and go for a ride.

 

[habsdoc]

You may or may not ever find it, but sometimes it will show up when you are working on another problem.

 

[Kiwi Canuck]

Just a thought, the nuts used on batteries are usually not ferrous metal and would not attach to a magnet anyway.

I agree that you will find it when you stop looking for it or when working on something else and if it went into the airbox it will stay there and not be a risk to the engine.

 

[Burque73]

Just a thought, the nuts used on batteries are usually not ferrous metal and would not attach to a magnet anyway.

I agree that you will find it when you stop looking for it or when working on something else and if it went into the airbox it will stay there and not be a risk to the engine.

Sorry but I had to try and yep, my nuts are ferrous!

Well, uh...the battery from Batteries Plus has them that is.

 

[dorkburger]

I've found small parts stuck in and around the cooling fins, the channel at the back of the engine under the long engine mount bolt, just sitting beside the starter motor cover, and many other places. I'm sure a couple had been there through a few previous owners.

I've also managed to find one or two nuts, springs, and sorts a long way away from where they were dropped (like 5 feet outside the garage door), so there is a chance it got away. If not, I wouldn't fret. There's no chance it ended up in the top end of your engine, and there are no openings to allow it into the bottom end.

It's sometimes shocking how far..... or how near parts can fall and travel.
I was gifted by the PO with an errant screw...... in cylinder 3 (I hadn't had the plugs out yet) shockingly, I rode about 4000 miles before it finally lodged under an intake valve and bent it.

 

[storm 64]

How many days has it been? It's probably hanging out with the missing sock. ☺

 

[Guest]

I've always taking steps to keep from losing or dropping parts when working on a bike. Prior to disassembling anything, I always swept the garage floor. That way if I dropped something, I could lay a flashlight on the floor and it would cast a shadow from the part, usually. But there are those times when my best efforts failed. There is a itty bitty spring in that clutch safety switch, and yep it went sailing. I spent well over an hour looking for it, no where to be found. It just disappeared, what a drag, all that time wasted looking for it when I could be making progress. And then I spotted it, laying on top of the engine crankcase in plain view, luckily for me. Whenever I changed plugs, I always made sure there wasn't anything lying around the base of the plug that would fall into the cylinder when I removed the plug, don't know how many small rocks I've pulled, or a small shock damper that fit between the cooling fins that dropped out. Whenever I finished a job, I made sure I had accounted for all my tools. Don't need anything shorting out the electrical works, or getting jammed in between the sprocket and chain. In the case of that spring, follow Chuck Hahn's advice, put a plastic bag around it so it can't get too far away.

 

[Guest]

Speaking of spark plug holes. I was adjusting my valves and the engine locked up while turning it over. It took me about an hour to fish my tweezers out of #1 after i figured out why it was stopping.

 

[BigD_83]

View attachment 51869

Speaking of spark plug holes. I was adjusting my valves and the engine locked up while turning it over. It took me about an hour to fish my tweezers out of #1 after i figured out why it was stopping.

That's why it is a good idea to stuff a shop rag in the hole