Dropped bolt in engine

[Scrapiron828]

I was in the process of installing my HPOP with the new stc fitting upgrade and I dropped a bolt in the top of the engine. I just closed the hood and walked away. How bad could it be? I'm going to pick up a new magnet since the last person that used mine never returned it. If it fell all the way to the oil pan will have to pull the engine to get it out?

[BigFuel]

ddddoooohhhh...........

First year and engine please. Hopefully it was late and dark and you didn't notice that it was hung up in the timing gear drive system. Now that it's light out and with your new mag pick-up you'll find it just sitting in there. Even if it made it to the oil pan that is still not a safe place for anything loose to be.

My OBS broke the fuel pump drive gear off in the motor and it made it all the way into the pan. Figured that I'd leave it there till I did my next tranny rebuild and pull the pan then. Well the drive gear rubbed through the pick-up screen and was sucked into the Low Pressure Oil Pump (LPOP). It sat there and spun against the oil pump and front cover until it rubbed through the front cover. Now the LPOP is just sucking air and I didn't find the problem until I had the entire motor apart. Real *****!

Yes you need to lift the motor to pull a pan. If you want to press your luck then place a couple earth magnets on the pan and hope they grab the bolt and hold it in place till the next overhaul.

Good Luck!

[Scrapiron828]

It's a 2005. Can the pan be pulled with the engine in place?

[BigFuel]

In resting position, negative. The K-Member supporting the engine is in the way. Look as hard as possible for the bolt in the gear set. I'm really hoping that it's still on the top somewhere. Cranking the motor while it's still up there will cause massive damage to the timing gear set.

If you have an engine hoist and a couple buddies you can undo the motor mounts, lift the engine as high as it will go, and now the tricky part. Get access to the flywheel/flexplate unbolt all the pan bolts (sorry remove the oil and pull the PCM so the engine won't start) and drop the pan as far as it will go. Can you reach in? If not pull the pan rearward as far as it will go till it hits the front most crank lobe. Use the starter (might need one of those cheap starter buttons from the auto parts store) and crank the motor till that lobe is up in the block. Move the pan farther back till the next lobe and repeat BUT don't let the first lobe come around and smack the pan. Must be careful. Repeat till the pan is out. No telling if this will work on a diesel but I have only done it on '70's cars.

[AshevilleEngine.com]

The bolt can get hung up on it's way to the bottom so I wouldn't recommend cranking it. Tough to get the pan off in the truck but it is possible. Be CAREFUL not to bang up the toner ring on the crankshaft. Damage that you can't even see can cause you headaches that would take me all day to describe.

[BigFuel]

^doesn't hurt to say that over and over again. Really really REALLY make sure that the bolt isn't in the timing set.