Engine Did something dumb. How screwed am I?!

[evintho]

I wanted to prime the engine before startup by spinning the oil pump with a drill. Pulled the distributor, attached a 1/4" hex driver to my long drill extension using the 2 small set screws, chucked it in my drill and went to town. After priming, I pulled it out and found 1 set screw missing! I looked really well and I can't see it down there. I'm hoping it'll just work it's way into the bottom of the oil pan. What's everyones thoughts on this?

 

[limp]

Do you have a long magnet? Try fishing for it..
Something that small might flow out if you dump the oil....

 

[Noobz347]

Small set screw... Me thinks you gotta find it.

 

[evintho]

I've drained the oil and strained it through cheesecloth. Nothing. I'm going to pour the oil back in through the distributor hole, drain again and repeat a couple of times hoping to dislodge it from wherever it is. In the meantime I've ordered a small flexible camera so I can look inside the oil pan. But, that won't be here for a week.
Amazon product ASIN B07CG4Q1Y3View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CG4Q1Y3/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Mustang5L5]

It's likely in the pan, but you gotta find it. Is the set screw magnetic? (test the other one), if so, drag some magnets across the pan bottom.

You can try to pull the timing cover and see if you can fish it from the front

 

[evintho]

UPDATE:
Got that little sucker!
Flushed the motor 3 times with oil and it still didn't come out. Screw it.....out comes the motor! Wasn't too much of a pain 'cause there's no front sheet metal on the car.

Dropped the pan and there it was sitting in a far corner.......

That tiny little screw could have caused a lot of damage! Glad I got it. Tomorrow the motor/trans go back in. Moving forward!

 

[96pushrod]

In all honesty it probably would’ve just gotten stopped by the screen in the pickup and not really been a big deal, long as it’s not smaller than the screen perforations

One more reason to pick up the priming tool, it’s cheap insurance imo. Definitely worth the $15 on Amazon.

 

[Noobz347]

Any of us would have lost sleep had we not been able to find an object that small in our build.

I unconsciously exhaled when I saw you got it.

 

[limp]

What is that car?

 

[96pushrod]

What is that car?

It looks like the bay of a Customline we did a sbf in awhile back. Different car of course.

 

[General karthief]

What is that car?

'54 Ford Customliner

 

[Mustang5L5]

Any of us would have lost sleep had we not been able to find an object that small in our build.

I unconsciously exhaled when I saw you got it.

My fear would have been the off chance it doesn't make it down to the oil pan and somehow ends up staying in the rotating assembly and jamming somewhere..... catastrophically.

Once in the pan, i agree the screen on the pickup would have caught it.

 

[evintho]

My fear would have been the off chance it doesn't make it down to the oil pan and somehow ends up staying in the rotating assembly and jamming somewhere..... catastrophically.

My fears exactly!!

What is that car?

Yep, '54 Ford Customline. Build thread is in my signature.