Dropped cam pin down head...help

[Cubieman]

Well I made a huge mental mistake and turned the crank while the timing bridge/pin was in the exhaust camshaft. It broke and I assume it fell down the hole pictured as I can't find it and the little plastic "grate" over that hole in the head snapped, I assume the broken pin flew out breaking it.
Where does this hole lead, the oil pan? Fuck.

[robgill]

That passage goes straight down to the oil pan. You may be able to fish it out with one of those long flexy magnets like this. Worst case take off the oil pan.

[Cubieman]

Ill give that a try before I pull the pan, how fucking embarrassing, motherfuck...

[r4dr]

Maybe it's a sign to go lighter on the arm days?

[Cubieman]

Maybe it's a sign to go lighter on the arm days?

It didn't take much, I left the plugs in so there was resistance when turning the crank. It really didn't feel like anything was wrong and I kept going kind of a deal.

[jbfrancis3]

No big deal. People have done far dumber things (cough cough).

Feels like it would be a 1 in a million shot if the pin fragment forced past the strainer, breaking it, and then ending up down in the pan. But maybe you're that lucky. Or the strainer was already broken.

There are many crevices in that head so maybe with a fresh set of eyes, look around and use a magnet before assuming it went down the pan.

[Cubieman]

If I pull the oil pan center cover does that give you the ability to get a better look around with a boroscope than say simply the oil drain plug?
Just trying to get an idea of the way thing are situated down there so I just might be able to find it/retrieve it with a scope/magnet before pulling the pan.

[Slideways]

If I pull the oil pan center cover does that give you the ability to get a better look around with a boroscope than say simply the oil drain plug?
Just trying to get an idea of the way thing are situated down there so I just might be able to find it/retrieve it with a scope/magnet before pulling the pan.

Inspecting through the center drain cover would be the first step. Then reference an image of the S54 oil pan and maybe fish it out with a magnet:

[Syfon]

Try fish it out with a long bendy magnet tool first. If that fails, pull the sump.

[heinzboehmer]

If I pull the oil pan center cover does that give you the ability to get a better look around with a boroscope than say simply the oil drain plug?
Just trying to get an idea of the way thing are situated down there so I just might be able to find it/retrieve it with a scope/magnet before pulling the pan.

The pan is baffled so it might be hard to get a good look at everything through that cover, unfortunately. Worth a shot before going to the trouble of pulling the pan though.

Hopefully that pin just bounced around a bunch and didn't fall down into the pan. First time I did a valve adjustment, I dropped a shim and was convinced it had gone into one of those passages. Decided to call it a night –after questioning my skills and fine motor skills– and take a look at it in the morning. Ended up finding it hidden in what seemed like the most remote crevice in the head (I think it was under the frontmost exhaust side cam lobe). Hoping something similar is the case for you too.

[Cubieman]

The pan is baffled so it might be hard to get a good look at everything through that cover, unfortunately. Worth a shot before going to the trouble of pulling the pan though.

Hopefully that pin just bounced around a bunch and didn't fall down into the pan. First time I did a valve adjustment, I dropped a shim and was convinced it had gone into one of those passages. Decided to call it a night –after questioning my skills and fine motor skills– and take a look at it in the morning. Ended up finding it hidden in what seemed like the most remote crevice in the head (I think it was under the frontmost exhaust side cam lobe). Hoping something similar is the case for you too.

I hope so as well, but that piece of plastic that broke it likely went down the hole, I suppose its possible it hit that plastic piece and went flying anywhere, possibly even out of the car, thats what drives me crazy.
I just want to know if it went down that hole it DEFINITELY is in the oil pan. And I see that it will be very difficult to get a good look as there is that baffle as well the crank etc.
Those little plastic strainers look like they might save you the trouble of something like this, unless of course you send a piece of metal flying out at them that is.

[sapote]

If it’s in the pan already, it causes no harm as the oil pump blocks it.

If it’s in the head, could be harmful. I would concentrate all efforts to look in the head.

[Cubieman]

If it’s in the pan already, it causes no harm as the oil pump blocks it.

If it’s in the head, could be harmful. I would concentrate all efforts to look in the head.

I hope/assume its either on top of the head or in the pan. Is there any passages on top of the head (other than the spark plugs holes) that would allow the broken metal piece to get anywhere except the pan?

[ChipperM3]

I dropped a small metal thread into the timing chain opening that ended up in low spot in the front of the pan. Somehow the threads broke off a stud when removing the plastic cover. I got it out without removing the pan.
First off, I was able to confirm it was down there by moving a strong magnet along the pan. It was able to pick up the piece and move it around. I could hear the piece scraping the inside of the pan as I moved the magnet. From there I walked the bit along the pan as far as it would go. Basically to the edge of the sump. Then with the cover removed I used a bendy magnet to fish around. It wasn’t obvious how to get it looking up into the pan. As mentioned, the baffles prevent you from clearly seeing around. It’s hard to describe, but the pickup tubes run up and through a baffled area that had enough space for the magnet to get through. After spending a ridiculous amount of time reshaping the magnet and fishing around I finally got it. From there I went directly to Sev and bought a lottery ticket. I did not win the lottery but I might as well have the way I felt when I saw that piece on the end of the magnet.

[ChipperM3]