bilal_242

Hi All,

This is the first time i am using this service and I am hoping you can help me how you have helped others!

I had a faulty camshaft adjuster which i decided to replace. In the middle of the repair job a T30 socket dropped inside the cylinder head. I have checked the cylinders and it is not there so has to be in the lifter valley. I could need reach or see it through the holes near the head bolts; i used an inspection camera and a magnetic tool.
I decided to open the oil pan since the valley should lead to the oil pan and sadly the piece was not in the oil pan.

I am hoping for some next steps and areas to explore.
Many thanks for your comments in advance!

I plan to share a process of replacing the camshaft adjusters/lifters/camshafts once I can get this piece out!

Regards,
Bilal

hachiroku

use many flexible magnets. keep trying. i once dropped a socket, couldn't find it...kept poking the flexible magnet where i knew it was. after 30 minutes i was able to find it though magnetic attachment....problem now was it was somewhat lodged in place and only had a few mm of wiggle room. i just kept wiggling and pulling until the socket came free.

good luck my friend. have MANY different kind of magnetic pick up tools. if you can't find it with the inspection camera, i don't know what advice to give you.

FunkTron

good advice on this one....they have the USB borescopes pretty cheap now.

bilal_242

Thanks for the reply lads. You are correct in saying the room is tight. I have opened the lower oil pan so will be looking to wiggle the camera around to get a visual hopefully, followed by magnetic pick-up tool.

I shall keep trying and update here accordingly!

SICAMG

I have been a tech for over 30 years and have done this a few times. Having a collection of various straight,long, short and flexable magnets always saves the day. Remember....normally if it got to its final resting place, you can get there too. Always "sight" it before you start "poking" around and go in like a snake to fish it out. Take your time.

bilal_242

Update:

So I explored the upper oil ban area with a magnetic tool and inspection camera - no luck in visually seeing the tool i dropped or attracting it by the magnetic tool.

I am now considering to remove the cylinder head in order to see the channel to the oil pan and see if the tool will be visible and then obtain it by the magnet.

Is this a sensible step to take given that i cannot get the tool out from the lower oil pan area or cylinder head?

SICAMG

All right let's start from the top. Now this may sound stupid but..... are you absolutely sure you dropped it in the cylinder? There is nowhere else it may have gone. Was it a solid sound as it traveled downward ?. A drop in a cylinder area should have a deep sound to it when it happened.

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

I had a e39 540 that the dealer dropped something down in the valley pan for a simple valley pan repair and apparently he never retrieved it -- motor was ruined and they bought the car from me after 5 or 6 weeks of free loaner cars and them trying to source a suitable motor -- I would go buy a bore scope like this and look for it

bilal_242

The sound:
I did not see the tool drop in but heard the sound. It hit a few metal parts that were close and then seemed to go into the distance hitting some walls it seemed and then seem to come to a resting point.
Car was on a level plane at this point.

I checked the following locations to rule out other possibilities but tell me if i am missing something:
- all 3 engine tray underneath the car from oil pan to the front of the car (no luck)
- all four cylinders by rotating the damper pulley so that i have a clear visual on the piston in case it is resting on it (again no luck)
- using inspection camera which is made by Teslong (i highly recommend it) i explored the cylinder head to see what was behind the lifters and the spring for the piston is visible as well as some head bolts. On the lower head bolts there were 4 holes which I inspected with a camera and used a magnetic tool to see if anything would catch on (no luck again)
- I think opened the lower oil pan but before doing so, I poured oil in the holes on the cylinder head in case the tool needs to flush out to the pan
- no tool in the oil pan and I double checked the oil by filtering it with a sieve

Anything dropped on the top of the head leads to the bottom of the head due to the angle it is resting on the engine. The lower part of the head has 4 holes next to the head bolts. These holes I believe leads to the upper oil pan.
The 4 holes channel is not directly straight and leads to a valley which seems to funnel to another hole which i believe leads to the upper oil pan.

Using an inspection camera I cannot see the tool on the valley when i reach the bottom of the hole. It does seem there is a further channel but is beyond reach.

Now i am just stuck. How can i explore what is between the cylinder head and the oil pan to find the damn piece.

See this video of me looking into the 4 holes mentioned

SICAMG

Seems strange. It does not look like a T-30 can make the turn at the bottom at 19 seconds in and at every hole being the same....it's to big is it not?

bilal_242

Live update:
The piece has come out! The top of the cylinder head holes leads to the upper oil pan.

Although I explored it from the top and bottom, I did so again from the top. I saw that the magnetic tools shafts reached the bottom so decided I'll take it out and only explore the upper pan... As I pulled out the magnetic tool, the tool I dropped was attached the magnetic!

Not sure why it attached this time. The only thing I've done different is pray to God - so all praise be to Him, the creator of the Heavens and the Earth and everything within it!

C2 Turbo

So glad to hear that, now you can relax and have a good night sleep

SICAMG

F*** yea buddy!!! Is it not a great feeling when you finally get a problem solved !!!

cmpcpro

Amen brother! Every time I pray it ALWAYS works out in the end.