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Help, I messed up...

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MikeCheck

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So I was changing the valve stem seals on my 2000 3.4
Long story short, I dropped a stem clip down into/past the camshaft. I cant get my pen magnet to go down and around enough to try and fish it out.
How much damage can there be if I just leave it in there? I dont want to pull the heads and or camshaft to try and fish this tiny piece out. Will it fall down into the oil pan eventually maybe? Is there anything relatively easy I can do to try and find/get this clip out? Should I just drop another engine in it?
 
zora

zora

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You already know your options, start taking things apart or take a chance it will harmlessly fall into oil pan. You can try turning engine over by hand before starting it. That whole area on top of head should have had rags or something to catch anything that fell. Good luck.
 
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MikeCheck

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zora said:
You already know your options, start taking things apart or take a chance it will harmlessly fall into oil pan. You can try turning engine over by hand before starting it. That whole area on top of head should have had rags or something to catch anything that fell. Good luck.
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Yeah I know. And I DID have it covered too, it was the ONE TIME for a whole 10 seconds I had it uncovered that it was the moment it had been waiting for.
Got alot of advice. From probes to keep adding and draining oil until it falls to the pan. Either way, its the tiniest piece of metal ever and I know I wont be able to find it without pulling the engine and flushing the block.
Probably going to just sell it and let someone else figure it out.
Thanks for the reply!
 
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