lost nut in motor need advice

[chris_mile]

while removing a valve cover a small 10mm nut that goes to one of the valve cover accessories fell down a hole between the lifters. i can see the cam but not the nut. how the hell am i suppose to get it out? will it fall into the pan? or do i have to go ripping everything apart?

 

[Turbo Steve]

get a telescopic magnet tool and fish it out

 

[chris_mile]

could it have fell thorugh to the pan? cant get the magnet down far enough to grab anything other than the cam it must have went below it.

 

[ChavoLC2]

Bolt

Man Hopefully it fell thru to the pan. PIA but I'd Remove pan and hope it's there.

 

[BetMinesFaster]

Man Hopefully it fell thru to the pan. PIA but I'd Remove pan and hope it's there.

+1, you could chance It being at the bottom of the pan and hoping is stays there, but the result could be catastrophic if at found its way to the wrong place.....Remove the pan and find it! Least ya know its safe!

 

[turbofabricator]

I FEEL your pain. I was working on a F-27 turbo-prop. http://www.zap16.com/images/maac_f27_cf-jsd.jpg I was changing the A-C generator on the Rolls-Royce Dart engine and when re-installing the cooling shroud (V-band clamp) the clamp slipped out of my fingers and the tee bolt went flying. I SWORE I saw it fly down the dipstick hole on the gear box. I ended up tearing the top of the gear box off and searched for hours trying to find the dang tee-bolt. Never did find it. I was scared SH!TLESS when we started the engine for the first time! It never showed it's face again. I noted that I had a FOD escape and the lead inspector bought it off and it flew away. That was 27 years ago.

Are you SURE it fell into the engine. There really aren't any holes big enough for a 10mm nut to fall into. Check the intake manifold, under the plenum. That is probably where it went. I don't think it could have gone down into the lifter valley. Was the intake manifold off? If not, look elsewhere. If the rocker arms are on, then there isn't a hole large enough for a 10mm nut to make it's way into the pan or lifter valley. If the plugs are out, then "maybe" it could end up in the cylinder. (but only if it wasn't a flange nut.) Take a flashlight and small mirror, and have a good look everywhere. Take a flexible magnet and push it everywhere you can't see.
Good luck.

 

[chris_mile]

dropping the pan tonight. as regards to did it fall down there, yes it did. It was like one of those slow motion videos of me swatting for it as is slipped into one of the holes you can see your cam through. i hope to god it fell through because if it didnt I may just strap some dynamite to the car and have an expensive 4th of july show! thanks all for responding.

 

[GDNF2ET]

I FEEL your pain. I was working on a F-27 turbo-prop. http://www.zap16.com/images/maac_f27_cf-jsd.jpg I was changing the A-C generator on the Rolls-Royce Dart engine and when re-installing the cooling shroud (V-band clamp) the clamp slipped out of my fingers and the tee bolt went flying. I SWORE I saw it fly down the dipstick hole on the gear box. I ended up tearing the top of the gear box off and searched for hours trying to find the dang tee-bolt. Never did find it. I was scared SH!TLESS when we started the engine for the first time! It never showed it's face again. I noted that I had a FOD escape and the lead inspector bought it off and it flew away. That was 27 years ago.

That's some scary sh!t...That would give me nightmares of it falling from the sky till I was old & gray

 

[BetMinesFaster]

If you dont see it in the pan try to rotate the engine very slowly with the dampner bolt with the plugs removed, it will likely fall right out..

 

[hottrawd]

If you don't find your nut, look at the bright side, at least you still have your other nut. LOL

 

[sirsteve2]

I would say before you pull the pan try draining the oil then run a strong magnet across the bottom of the pan to try and locate it and possibly get it to fall through the drain hole....thats assuming it didnt fall on the baffle.

 

[turbofabricator]

So........The intake WAS off already. Too late, now, but next time lay rags in the lifter valley. Saves lots of time.