HELP Dropped bolt in motor!

[HowieD-5M-GE]

I was in the process of putting my engine back together after a fixing up a blown head gasket, as i was putting the camshaft on the head i dropped a bolt inside the oil galley. I was wondering how i should go about this problem? Ive already spent at least an hour sitting there with a magnet trying to fish it out, Ive tried vaccuming it out, and removing the oil pan just sounds like alot of work. Im curious to know how urgent it is that i get it out? Its pretty frustrating, suggestins??:32:

btw its a stock 5m-ge, thanks.

[84ptype]

a good strong magnet is gonna be your best bet.

Got a picture of where it fell into.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

I do have a picture but ill have to post it later when i get home. Its about a dime size hole on the left side between the 4th and 5th piston. I been using a 3lb magnet with no luck. Im not sure if a 5lb would fit?

[CELICA XX]

I have this Craftsman Extra Long Magnetic Pick Up Tool, with stainless steel telescopic handle... good for 16 lbs

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00946968000P

[HowieD-5M-GE]

I have a magnet similar to that. The problem I keep coming across is the block is iron! Its frustraing Because once it gets to a certain point it attaches to the side. I need like a diagram of the inside or something so i could at least try to navigate it or something.

[Donn29]

If the motor is out, defiantly pull the pan. If the motor is in the car, you suck. Sorry.

It's a bitch, but since its iron, a magnet is going to be tricky to get it to work, not to mention all the metal shavings that will fall down there from scraping a magnet inside that drain. Pull the pan and save the time wasted. Or you could leave it in there, since its far to large for the pump to pick up.

[memories83]

You should just pull the pan and get it out. Don't leave it in. It will always be in the back of your mind and drive you nutty.

[toyotalife]

if ur sure its made it was all the way to the pan.. u can try to pull the drain plug and drag the mag across the bottom of the pan and try to work the bolt to the drain hole.. it's workd for me b4 but that was on a 22re.. goodluck

[HowieD-5M-GE]

I would gladly pull the pan off if i didnt have to move the engine. It just seems like soo much work for a little bolt! And if its not gonna mess somethingg up why bother? I could just get a new one from a junkyard or something to replace it rightt..Or will it turn up somewhere down the road and bite me in the ass?

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Ive tried sticking it through there but not dragging it from the outside..I have a pretty strong magnet too I spose i could try it.

[supergregotti]

If the engine is in the car, and the magnet don't work for you, you may want to check out glmomp's Writeup (http://www.alexsuprasite.com/5MGTE.htm) on turbo installation...it explains how to remove the oil pan.

[Wolfgang]

If your not under a budget restraint, pull the block and pull the pan. It will give you a chance to gasket anything leaking and replace anything out of spec. Then you get a fully rebuilt motor.. Did the head on mine a little while ago, and wish I had the time/space to pull the block..

[HowieD-5M-GE]

<a href="http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/kuer702/?action=view&current=photo.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/kuer702/photo.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Right in that hole!

[HowieD-5M-GE]

<a href="http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/kuer702/?action=view&current=photo.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/kuer702/photo.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Right in that hole!


haha try this link actually
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/kuer702/photo.jpg

Im not even working at the moment, full time student. soo noo money right now to go all out but i will, eventually..

[Michael764]

is the magnet on a string?

[84ptype]

I would say spend the time to jack the motor up and drop the oil pan. Should be in there.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

is the magnet on a string?


Noo it was on a telescoping rod like the one CELICA XX sugest i use. but i even took the magnet off of there and attached it to a hanger so it could bend, still no luck..

[donkita]

I did the same thing. Tried all kinds of magnets. Magnet on a string finally worked for me.

[Ukelay13]

I don't know the exact name of this tool, but I always called it a pickle grabber (no not your hand). It has a slide and a spring like a pen, and four little metal arms that grab stuff. I have an old one with a flexible neck, but I haven't seen one like it in a long time. If you're as clumsy with dropping stuff as I am I would recommend it.

This one is like it, but with a stiff neck.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen___Helpers_and_Accessories___Utensils_and_T ools___Pickle_Grabber___045430#

Hope this helps.

[supra4life]

Take the pan off and remove the bolt if you cant get it out by any of the other suggested methods, or I will have to get a plane ticket to Las Vegas and cut your toilet in half.

[supra4life]

Because you are a half ass.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Hahaha well ive decided to leave it in there and reassemble the rest of my engine. But after i get a lil money ill just get an oil pan gasket and change it out when i get the bolt. No use in takin it off now without a gasket right?
I can honestly say im not looking forward to it tho...:sadsmilie

[84ptype]

are you serious?
Your really going to leave a bolt in your engine. Your a dumbass...
spend a few hours and 15 bucks for an oil pan gaskets and take the damn pan off.

Specially while you have everything off and its even easier to maneuver around in the bay.

[MikeMac]

How about putting something around the magnet so it will not stick to the sides of the engine block and only stick to the bolt. Use something like rubber tubing to conceal most of the magnet leaving only the end available to stick to the magnet. My favorite helper...Duct tape, would also work. You don't really need a gasket for the oil pan. I think most people just use the permatex grey by itself...like $3.00. So that is not really an excuse to not do it.

[mk2-1jz]

a pickle grabber pouhahahahaha :laugh:

[mkiimaniac]

A pickle grabber is not your hand?

since when?

[ra24man]

Get the flexible magnet one on this page...

http://www.newmantools.com/ullman/ull3.htm

I've fished valve keepers, bolts, nuts and washers out with it. It doesn't keep collapsing on you when you shove it down the hole...plus you can fish around with it a bit.

Tough luck dude...I hate dropping shit like that. I dropped a valve doing valve stem seals on a 2JZ once...that sucked as well.

Don't start your engine with that bolt in there...you really don't know where its at...could be sitting in a counterweight of the crank just waiting to break shit.

Lastly...use some patience (as it seems your lacking in that department).

Good luck!

[paul12]

Hahaha well ive decided to leave it in there and reassemble the rest of my engine. But after i get a lil money ill just get an oil pan gasket and change it out when i get the bolt. No use in takin it off now without a gasket right?
I can honestly say im not looking forward to it tho...:sadsmilie

Not going to lie, that's a pretty horrible idea. Like Mark said, it could just be waiting to blow shit up.

[mkiimaniac]

If you're gonna be half ass,

Stick a crap load of heavy duty magnets all across the underside of your oil pan...at least that way it "should" stay there at the bottom.

you might be a redneck if you drop a bolt in your motor and....lol j/k

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Yeahh im definetly super impatient..
Well ive only put the camshafts on, im done trying to fish that bolt out. Its simply justt not happening. Im gonna try to get ahold of a cherry picker and take my engine out. It could use a good cleaning anyways. Looks like ill have to go all out after all...

[mk2-1jz]

patience. The only thing that's keeping my car from coming out of storage is 2 radiator brackets that I'm waiting for in the mail.

Patience my friend, you MUST acquire it. Take the freakin pan off. I hope you learned something from this at least. The pan gasket is like 15 bucks and RTV gasket maker is 5$. DO IT.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Looks like im gonna have to pick up some permatex and a haynes manual. Ive never used the stuff but would it work on my camshaft cover? I misplaced one of the gaskets.

[mk2-1jz]

not really dude. The RTV gasket maker is to coat the cork or paper gaskets to double assure you it wont leak. NEVER do a cork job without putting some RTV over it.

[DreadyDiggs]

If you gonna use Permatex silicone as your gasket, use Ultra Grey, Blue, or Black. We had a talk with the Permatex guy at school. The regulars are not as long lasting as the Ultras. He says regular Blue was only designed to last 30,000 miles, that's not much these days.

The silicone is not meant to normally be used as a sealer over the gaskets, they have sealant for that.

His reason for not using the RTV silicone as a gasket sealer is that it is basically providing extra layers. In SOME cases, this could throw off very crucial dimensions. They have spray on sealant and glob on to help provide and extra seal on normal gaskets as well as hold them in place while you're assembling.

Read the labels, it says gasket maker, not gasket sealer. It's meant to BE a gasket so you won't have to keep order Fel-Pro kits haha.

[mk2-1jz]

whats the permatex product for gasket sealer called?

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Haha id hate to order another kit..
Well thanks for clearing that up. I just went to the website, depends exactly what your gonna seal i spose.
http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_sealants.htm

[SilverMk2]

I think you should first ask what oil pan you have. If its an 85+ pan with the oil return in the side you don't need a gasket and should use Permatex Ultragrey or Toyota FIPG. The earlier pans with the inverted flange still use a gasket. If the bolt actually in the sump of the pan its not going to causing any harm unless it got through the oil pump screen. If its in the pan use a powerful magnet and draw it near the oil drawing sliding the magnet across the surface.

[supra_07]

IMHO i think you should just take your motor out and do some gaskets and drop your pan and get the bolt. sometimes you just got to bite the bullet and do it. cause eventually you are going to need to replace seals and gaskets... cause oil will be going out just as fast as its going in. might as well do it and get it done with instead of putting it off to the side lol. just my two cents though.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Well at the moment i dont have any oil leaks..lol
buttt while i was down there i noticed the oil pan gasket looked prety old or whatever it was. Its a late 84 im not sure what type it is tho, it has a sunroof.. I could tell you the numbers in a bit.

[kmfdmk]

+5 million for FIPG, FIPG (Toyota Form-In-Place-Gasket Material, Black for Oil) is the ONLY sealer I will EVER use on my engine. It's a HUGE PITA to remove, but properly prepared it is amazing in seal and nearly permanent in hold.

But then again, you're talking about running the engine with a bolt loose in the bottom of the engine, so... GLWT, use whatever you want, you'll most likely be pulling the engine apart after it eats itself from the inside out.

[zuprax85]

what size bolt? the drain plug is big enough to pull a 5/16" bolt (i guess). did you already try that?

my 2 cents.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Ive tried fishing around from the plug hole with my magnet, no luck. Soo i stuck an extra strong one on the bottom of the pan. If and when it falls down anywhere near it itll just stick down there..hopefully. I just bought my haynes manual soo hopefully that should help me out down the line, if my engine gets taken out by that little bolt before i get to an engine hoist..

[supra_07]

lol you will need more then that haynes manual ;) good luck man hope that little bolt dont trash your motor. but if it does i got a spare 5m block ;)

[HowieD-5M-GE]

Wellll I got good news! Ive been sponsored for an engine hoist haha soo ill be removing that bolt hopefully sometime soon. I was wondering what else i could do while my motor was out? Ive decided to take my time with this, and in the long run ill be much more satisfied :thumbsup:

[supra_07]

2jz??? you know you wanna...:iocrunks2:

[rt36]

Clean the engine, and replace all of the rubber hoses that you can. Vacuum and cooling system hoses can be a pain to replace when they're in tricky places.

Also, degrease the engine bay and try to pretty things up a little bit.
Just be careful of the wiring harnesses and connectors. They're very old and brittle by now (ESPECIALLY injectors clips).

Good luck!

[MikeMac]

Change the fuel filter while the engine is out. It takes about 5 minutes with the engine out, it takes a lot more when it is in the car.

[HowieD-5M-GE]

That all sounds do able. I wanted to replace some of those wires, is there somewhere to order them? Or is that doing too much..

[MikeMac]

HowieD, I think you should be OK with that bolt you dropped. I was re-doing my head last weekend and when I was putting the cam tower back on I dropped a bolt into the same hole (I think) that you did. The engine I was working on has no oil in the pan and it sounded like a pachinko machine and then it hit the pan with a loud thump. I think that this probably happened to your bolt also, if it did you should be OK since it will most likely stay in the bottom of the oil pan and with the small clearence between the sump and the pan it should pose no problem. I don't recommend that you leave bolts in the engine as a practice but if you don't want to get into the motor at this point, I don't think it will hurt it, but then again it is your engine and not mine. I Just wanted to relate my recent experience as it related to this thread. BTW I dropped the pan and got the bolt out because I needed the bolt to put the cam tower back on.