HELP -Valve Extension dropped in my wheel

phil485

So massive balls up tonight.
Messing with my Ron front wheel trying to remove a small wobble before this weekends open TT.
The valve extension came unscrewed and has dropped inside the wheel. It is a carbon fairing on an ali rim.
I have tried for an hour or two trying to fish it out but getting no where.

Do I have any other options??
Thinking that I am going to need to cut a hole in the fairing to get it out......

alistaird

Is the valve extension magnetic? and then a very thin pair of tweezers?

A

ugo.santalucia

tweezers with curved tips might be your only option

i.bhamra

As a last resort cutting a hole is not as bad as it first sounds -If the carbon is just a fairing and not structural which I think is the case. If you make the hole carefully enough patching it back up afterwards should be easy.

Ncovidius

https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand-tools/all-hand-tools/rolson-led-claw/magnetic-pick-up-tool-710299.html

These are quite handy for retrieving things that have dropped through holes. If you can manipulate the lost extender to the valve hole.

phil485

Sadly its an ali extension.

Will be having another session this evening.
Needle nose pliers, curved tweezers and random pokey things are at the ready

mully79

I was thinking a thin elastic band passed through a tube ie a cut down straw to make a noose. Try and get the extension in the noose somehow and tighten it up with the tube to try and pull it out. (or some other variation with cotton thread and the noose through the eye of a needle etc.)

darkhairedlord

take the tyre off, then blast compressed air through while jiggling the wheel and it might ( ) get drawn through.

First.Aspect

Can you put something like a strip of card through the inside hole to act as a wall to direct it to the hole through the alloy, of vice versa? Sounds like you need to get it perpendicular and then jiggle it until it drops out.

phil485

Yeah another frustrating couple of hours last night.

All sorts of jigglers and twisters and things tried to no effect.
I couldnt get it to turn perpendicular to the valve hole no matter what i tried.

In the end the 2mm drain hole in the side wall became a 10mm drain hole and I was able to get it out.

Covering Sticker back on and it looks as good as before. TT tonight to check it holds up. I do need to get a slightly bigger sticker though

Thanks for all the thoughts.

Ben6899

It should be fine, no? The carbon is just a fairing, the spoke nipples are in the aluminium rim and hidden?

phil485

Should be fine, just a fairing and its fairly neat.
Let you know later after 10 miles .