This is so terrible and I feel like such an idiot. I was torquing my intake after replacing the gaskets and just as I was on the LAST SCREW, I lost my footing and dropped the screw -it fell DIRECTLY into the distributor hole, and I can't even see the damned thing. I heard a "ding" of it hitting a surface of something, so I'm hoping there is SOME way to get that stupid thing out.

It's a chevy 305/350 (The boneyard lied to me, so I actually don't know which the damned thing is), and if at all possible, i don't want to disassemble the entire engine. Has anyone ever done this before? If I removed the oil pan, is there any chance it may just fall out?

Please help me....

 

I would try and get a light...a good light...and look for it from the hole on top first. If it is within reaosnable distance you may be able to get it out with a magnet from the top. One of those extention type magnets should do the trick. I cant seem to get a mental image right now, but unless you heard it distinctively hit the oil pan tin sound, it is probably higher up inside the engine...probably on top of the cam area...if my mental image is working for me properly...its been a long day. Anyway, try the light and magnet first before you go pulling oil pans and intakes...maybe youll get lucky.

 

on the back on the block where it mates up with the trans should say 5.0 or 5.7 if it is a 87-up engine.

As far as getting your screw out. I dont know how to say this. intake gaskets do not cost that much!

 

I've done this before.... Head to a local Auto Parts store and buy an extension type magnet. They run like 4 or 5 dollars. take a good light and try to find it, if not just stick that magnet it and go to town. If there was still oil in the pan...then i doubt the DING you heard was the screw hitting the pan itself. I would bet it just on top of the cam. If all else fails, I'd say start from the top and work your way down.

 

is pretty unlikely isn't it,the dist/oil pump driveshaft doesn't allow enuf room for the bolt,i sure would go to town with a magnet

 

It shouldnt have gone all the way down to the pan. its going to be sitting on top of the pump shaft or it bounced and landed in the lifter valley.

 

If you look down the hole with a flashlight you could probably see it.

I like using long grabbing tools to fish dropped things out instead of a magnet. The magnet can be hard to steer sometimes when it just wants to stick to the block.

 

haha, yea the magnet might be fun to operate while poking it around a big chunk of iron. None the less it will get the job done, eventually...

 

Thanks for the help, guys. I ended up buying a magnetic retrieval tool, alas, I couldn't fish the damn thing out. I spent the better part of three hours trying to get that damned bolt off the cam (despite the fact I couldn't see anything), but to no avail, I left empty handed.

Believe it or not, it turns out the bolt actually DID hit the oil pan, and since there was no oil in the engine at the time, it's understandable why I heard the "ding." Don't ask me how the bugger got all the way down there -just so long as it doesn't screw me over.

Not that it really matters, anyways. In the end, the engine still isn't starting, and I'm still out $2000 or so for the car and engine replacement. Live and learn, I suppose.

 

There are two great big drain holes on either side at the back of the block. I like to put screens in there to catch any bits of debris, like lost screws.

 

Holy crap 3 hours!!!

After about 15min i would have just said F it and pulled the intake!

I would have never thought the bolt could fit through one of the drainback holes!

 

Not the little ones between the lifters, the huge 1" monsters at the rear.

 

i did this too, but with one of the distributor cap screws, i forgot how it ended up in there, but now a rag goes into the hole the second i yank the dis.