Is this hopeless?

[281pony]

i just had a head gasket blow after 15 miles and 4 weeks of downtime and frustration. since yesterday i have been working on putting the new gaskets on off and on.

i was tightening the nut on my edelbrock intake (the one only a wrench fits on with the overhanging section) and the wrench fell off right down into my oilpan. heard it slap. i had a rag across the hole but it somehow knocked it out of the way.

is it hopeless to try getting something magnetic to pick it up? pulling the engine isint an option or im just selling this car. it is too big to get out of a drain plug also, was a 1/2" wrench.

about 10 minutes from starting it up again, now its stranded from this. i think my mustang days are numbered if this doesnt get fixed.

 

[5literttop]

I don't get it, how did it fall into your oil pan?

 

[281pony]

i tried not to be real descriptive since it pisses me off to the point im sick to my stomach.

distributor was out from a head gasket swap. installing upper intake and theres a stem with a nut on the edelbrock intake. it hangs over so you cant use a ratchet, just a wrench. while tightening the nut the wrench fell right down the distributor hole. i had a rag over it, and it knocked the rag out of the way and fell through.

the important thing is its in there, and how can i get it out without pulling engine

 

[Daggar]

The first option would be to put take to two front motor mounts loose, jack th engine, drop the pan, fish out the wrench, then reseal and reinstall the pan. You're only changing the gasket so the pan doesn't have to come all of the way out. You could also take the k-member loose to get room that way.
--or--
If you're ABSOLUTELY SURE that the wrench is sitting on the bottom of the oil pan then it's not going anywhere. Find a big speaker magnet and stick it to the bottom of your pan. That'll keep it from moving. Drain the oil and run a coat hanger up through the drain plug and fish around for it to make sure it's where you think it is.

 

[Michael Yount]

Can you see it? Have you drained the oil out of the front sump? If you take the front cover/water pump off, you can probably get to it with little trouble.

 

[MrKwik]

The only place it can go is in front by the timing chain. Pull everything off the front and get it from there. No fun.

 

[2002BLGT]

how much for the car ???? ill have it out in 20 minutes if you sell me the car

 

[DMAN302]

Try an extendable magnet, they can be purchased at industrial distribution centers like J&L, they can pick up to 2lbs and enen come flex style...just for these type problems. Likely set you back 20$ and are the size of a pen in diameter.

 

[281pony]

thanks for the input guys.

i dont give up easily on anything but i dont want to rip apart the front of the engine. ill go see about one of those magnets and hope for the best. last night i didnt search awhole lot since i almost threw up i was so pissed off.

not sure exactly where the wrench is, i heard it slap my oil pan since it is empty from draining the milky oil from my blown hg. ill go looking for one of those magnets. thanks

 

[Michael Yount]

While you're putzin' around down in the dizzy hole with a magnet, be careful you don't dislodge the oil pump shaft. You could make matters worse. And it's gonna be tough with a magnet - because EVERYTHING down there is iron - it's gonna want to stick to everything. I think you're ultimately gonna have to pull the cover.

 

[281pony]

well i bought three things.

one is an extending magnet, doesnt flex but if it gets close to the top i could grab it. second is a flexible magnetic piece. third is a flexible claw thing. you can squeeze the end and extend a claw.

i think ill try locating it then grabbing it with the claw.

 

[281pony]

i have a thing going where sometime i might get it. i can feel it with the magnetic, then i use the claw and grab it.

i have picked it up several times but i can never grab the end of it where its laying and i can fish it up. now i cant seem to feel it, and im just leaving for awhile.

 

[DMAN302]

keep us posted for sure.

 

[281pony]

so if i pull my waterpump you think ill be able to get to it?

i can take off my ps and brackets and the alt brackets.

the claw broke. just leave it at that.

 

[Michael Yount]

Not just the water pump; the balancer (need a puller) and the front/timing cover also. That will allow you direct access to the front of the oil pan through an opening that's as wide as the depth of the front cover. Good luck.

 

[281pony]

yeah thats what i figured. i think it might just be easier for me to jack the engine up and get it from the oil pan.

the timing chain cover gaskets are a pain in the ass from what i understand.

looks like another weekend on this pos

 

[Michael Yount]

Pulling the pan from underneath the car is MUCH more difficult than pulling/replacing the front cover.

 

[281pony]

great.. guess ill do it anyways.

not like i have anything to lose at this point

 

[Michael Yount]

Tell me again why you'd choose to do it the hard way?

I presume you have an engine lift? The engine has to be lifted quite high (motor mounts and other connections disconnected) or the K-member has to be dropped in order to get the pan completely out. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Daggar]

Pulling the pan from underneath the car is MUCH more difficult than pulling/replacing the front cover.

Totally agree on that one. Definitely avoid pulling the pan if you can get to it another way. Resealing the timing cover can be no fun but if you're patient and take your time, you'll get it back on right the first time.