aherz0g
09-18-2025, 08:10 PM
Welp…now that I’ve fought off the panic attack…trying to figure out the best way to go about fixing this potentially catastrophic accident. I was replacing the valve seals on my 85 with the head still on the engine. I got about halfway through the job and I dropped one of the keepers in the oil well between the pushrods. I didn’t even realize there was an opening down there because of how it’s design obstructs the hole if you’re looking from above. (I probably would have made a little cardboard cutout or something to stuff in there to prevent this had I known about that black hole).
Anyways, I had to pause after this happened to collect myself, but my plan is this:
make some kind of magnet on a wire or string (going to take care in making this so that I don’t lose the magnet down there also).
if that doesn’t work,
Drag a string magnet around the oil pan towards the drain plug t hopefully draw it in the right direction if it did make it to the bottom, then drain the oil and search for it in the oil.
if that doesn’t work…I’m at a loss. I’m really worried I just totaled this van for me, I can’t afford a full teardown right now. Any thoughts, suggestions or experience with this happening to you? I’d really appreciate it right now. Feeling like a fool!
-Alex
Anyways, I had to pause after this happened to collect myself, but my plan is this:
make some kind of magnet on a wire or string (going to take care in making this so that I don’t lose the magnet down there also).
if that doesn’t work,
Drag a string magnet around the oil pan towards the drain plug t hopefully draw it in the right direction if it did make it to the bottom, then drain the oil and search for it in the oil.
if that doesn’t work…I’m at a loss. I’m really worried I just totaled this van for me, I can’t afford a full teardown right now. Any thoughts, suggestions or experience with this happening to you? I’d really appreciate it right now. Feeling like a fool!
-Alex