MTM

What was supposed to be a 30 minute cam chain tensioner pad replacement has just gone horribly wrong. As I was removing the j-tube, one of the washers fell down the nearby oil drain hole. Now if I'm really lucky, it fell all the way down and landed in the bottom of the oil pan, right? I'm planning on draining the oil and using a big magnet to try to drag it across the pan and out the drain hole. Do you think this will work? Anyone have any better suggestions?

joseph mitro

i bought an extendable magnet when doing my 16 valve head job but i'm not sure if the size of the magnet is small enough to fit down the small oil drain hole. my suggestion is to use the smallest magnet you can find

good luck!!

Peckster

Murphy's law in action.

It's worth a try. I have a small powerful magnet on a telescoping steel rod like a TV antenna that's worked in the past. Might try sticking one down the hole it fell into first

Next time, stick rags into all the holes before you start.

Bruce '89 s2

Washer is copper, I think, so magnet wont work.
I know how you feel when a normal job goes bad like that = a horrible sinking feeling - and the bad language - the wife hides away from me.
Hope it works out.

MTM

Oh man, you're right. I just checked the other j-tube washer and it's not magnetic!

How difficult is it to remove the oil pan?

MTM

Okay, now the plan is to pour more oil down that drain hole and let it come out the bottom of the oil pan. Unfortunately, the drain plug is on the side of the oil pan, so the washer won't just fall out as I'm flushing the system. I'll have to try to fish it out from the bottom of the oil pan somehow.

Hey, what if I just leave the washer down there at the bottom of the oil pan? Would it ever get sucked up into the oil pump or anything?

Dal Heger

Don't worry about it. It can't get sucked into the oil pickup, there is a screen to prevent exactly that. Button it up and go on with life.

Dal.

triscadek

Makes a lot of sense to me..

Dmitry S.

What about oil pressure? If the washer gets stuck next to the oil pickup, won't the oil pressure drop?

Luis de Prat

As Dal said, in many regards these cars are much better engineered than we give them credit for.

billybones

I would pour oil into the hole just to see if it comes out at the oil pan. If it does then the passage is clear... and the pan is doing just what it is supposed to do.... collect things... I would not worry about it.. The pick up tube is much lager than the washer and unless it floats?????