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i made a stupid mistake. best course of action?

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I wonder if it's steel. Is the bolt that it was on attracted by the magnet ?
 
yea the bolt in the set magnetic. i keep kicking myself because i was going to take the .010 out of the set before i started and i didn't. i don't know why i didn't but had i i'd have the valve cover on and would have need driving today.
well... i can only learn from my mistake and move forward...
 
In my experience of working on cars professionally for almost 40 years, I'd say there is a good chance it is somewhere else, unless you actually saw it go down the rabbit hole.
 
The little knurled nut on my feeler gauge set is aluminum. I've been in similar situations before. I dropped a nut into an intake runner once. Had to take the intake back off to get it out. That one would have caused bad stuff to happen.
 
My thought has already been stated: Don't start that engine.

This reminds me of when I centered by carb jets with that little centering tool from Moss. I put everything back together and then couldn't find that little thing. I looked everywhere (including into the intake manifold and past the butterflies), all over my garage and around the house, before starting the engine and I still shudder about where it might be.

I'll probably have to go look around again now. After all, it's raining.

Back to your issue, if not resolved, I'd still think it's in one of the tappets or caught in the rod tubes.

Removing the pan wouldn't be all that bad if it came to that.

Good luck.
 
Huge difference losing a part down an intake. That WILL damage the motor.

The sumps all have pump screens because parts frequently break off and fall down there...often not being found for quite some time. Valve trains are a regular offender for stray parts.

John
 
Reminds me of the time about forty years ago. My friend volunteered to rebuild the Weber on my Fiat 850 Spyder. I helped by putting the nuts and washers in the air cleaner to keep them together. Rebuilt the carb, put it back on the car without the lock washers for some unexplained reason. It made an awful noise for a while and then died. My dad, then did the autopsy and found the lock washers had punched through two of the pistons. Fortunately I had a spare engine for parts, so dad did a complete rebuild. I learned a big lesson, and it didn't have to cost me a ton of money for the education.
 
I am no expert, but I would have to agree that a stray piece of metal in the engine can't be good no matter where it is. I had the same thing happen to me, so don't feel bad. My Dad was helping me, and he had a few nuts in his hand. Next thing I know, he dropped one down one of the holes in the head. I felt horrible mainly because he felt so bad. After wasting two hours not being able to snag it with a magnet, I reluctantly removed the head. I ended up finding it in the head ready to drop in the timing chain cover. In the long run, I am glad I removed the head, because I am not sure what damage it would have done to the timing chain. One of the nicest thing that happened was two different people on the forum offered to drive to my house to help. Is there anyone near you that can help?
Kevin
 
well i did a further inspection and i can not see it down the push rods or on the top of the tappets. i fished down there with a magnet tool and a small wire to no avail. i refilled the engine with oil and again drained it again hoping to find it in the oil it was not there. im thinking it has to be in the pan since i cant see it when i look down the hole. im kinda stuck as i believe removing the head by myself is some what beyond my mechanical knowledge.
it fell down in the center of the motor where valves for cyl 2 and 3 are i dont know where else it could b. If its in the pan is it any real danger?
 
yea after i drained and refilled the oil i took the plugs back out and spun the motor by hand and there is no binding it turns just the same as when i was adjusting the valves before the nut fell.
 
To answer your question about it being in the pan, I'd say 'not a problem'.
There are people on Forums showing all kinds of stuff in the sumps once they were removed for whatever reason, not the least of which is what's left of their Thrust Washers.
 
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