awilli6

89 S4, doing an intake refresh and took the passenger side chain pads out as a WYAIT. I think I dropped one of the washers into what looks like an oil channel. I tried to get it out with some tape because a magnet won’t attract it. Now I have tape and the washer in there.

My my question is, how hard is it to remove the bottom cam shaft from the passenger side? Do I need to lock anything before I remove the cam shaft? Is there a timing issue if I remove it?

Frustrated!

What I wrote reminded me of a joke a comedian told.

He said, I bought my daddy a dog so he could walk him and get some exercise because he has high blood pressure & cholesterol. 6 months later and the dog has high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Kevin in Atlanta

It likely dropped down and landed in the oil pan. It's a straight to the oil pan.

I don't think the aluminum washer would have been a problem, but the tape does compound the issue. Over time it might migrate to the oil pick up screen but even that sounds unlikely.
If it were me I wouldn't worry about it.

GregBBRD

The "channel" goes directly to the oil pan and is darn near vertical.

For some reason, the washers seem to never "stick" on the sides of the oil channel, but go all the way down....something to do with gravity, inertia, and the vertical oil channel....way above my pay grade.
Trust me, I've "chased" more than just a few of these things...so many that I now stuff a piece of "hi-tech" paper towel down in the area, before any other work occurs. (Put a note on the window to remind yourself to remove the paper towel, when you are done....I've made this mistake, also.)

I've never not "chased" and removed a loose washer.
That being said, I've found more than just a "few" of these washers in the oil pan or stuck onto the screen of the pick-up.
In theory, the washer can never get past the pick-up.
I can't ever rationalize that theory....I always go get it.

The Forgotten On

^^ It could get past an early style pickup. They don't have a screen on the pickup itself, just around it.

FredR

With things like this I work on the principle the smaller it is the more likely it will be to cause damage because it is more likely to be swept up in the likes of the windage cloud and the smaller it is the deeper it can get into various nooks and crannies so very wise to stop it in the first place and even wiser to search it out if one drops such.

Kevin in Atlanta

IMO, if the OP wants to retrieve the aluminum crush washer and tape the best solution is to drop the oil pan. I hope the car is already in need of a new OPG or motor mounts.

But, I bet Greg has other options.

FWIW, I've found some interesting things in the oil pans of cars I've owned. None of them on the oil pickup. These are all 86+ engines.

FredR

What we need is a sh*t magnet!

Kevin in Atlanta

No, we need to work on our engines in zero gravity or with the engine upside down wearing goggles.

My personal best was the time the tensioner crush washer flew into the neighboring spark plug hole. Normally I have them plugged with paper shop towels or a spark plug.

I found it sitting on the leading edge just above the spark plug hole in the head. Using a long snap-on pick was interesting.

awilli6

Thanks guys. I think I can get the tape with a flexible pic tool. I can still see it stuck in there. I changed OPG & motor mounts last year. I’ll see what I have once I get the tape out.

Kevin in Atlanta

If you can see the tape, do you have a shop vac you can add narrow hose to suck the tape out of the orifice? I've done that in the past.

SwayBar

Your problem makes for an excellent excuse to buy a decent boroscope, they are less than $100:



With it, you can see exactly where it is, or, where it is not...

Nonetheless, it can help you make a decision.

Let's say you've found it laying on the oil pan by cylinder 3. One way you can get it is by flushing it forward with a tube and mineral spirits, and then retrieve it from the sump.

Easier said than done, for sure.

I hate to say this, but if it were me knowing it's such a small and malleable washer, I wouldn't put too much time into trying to retrieve it - but I'd still buy the boroscope!

awilli6

I’ve got a boroscope and can see the tape. Once it’s out of the way, I’ll see if I can see the washer.

awilli6

I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll give it a shot.

awilli6

Update: was able to remove all of the tape. No sign of the washer.

SwayBar

That is a good idea, never would have thought of that.