Guys, Im freaking out here. I was putting the finishing touches on the engine tonight when I dropped a 1/2 nut....(for the carb stud) I heard it bounce and I think it dropped down into the hole where the distributor drops into. Ive looked everywhere and cant find it. Is this nut going to pass harmlessly right into the oil pan or is it resting on some critical component waiting to grenade itself on my initial startup? I cant yank the engine out and tear it all down, Im almost ready to start her up!

 

No such thing as a harmless nut floating around inside the engine. I wouldn't be able to sleep without finding that nut first. If it didn't go down inside, it could have dropped and landed on the transmission, a crossmember, etc. Have you looked up and down for it? And I know it's too late now, but duct tape covering vital openings does wonders. I know somebody who didn't have their carb opening on the intake covered and a nut unknown to him went down there. Luckily it only got wedged in a valve and went no further, it could have been much worse. Loose metal parts somewhere inside an engine is never a good thing.

 

you can try looking around and digging into stuff with a magnetic retriever and pray that you find it. if not, do you have a rotating engine stand? turn it upside and shake it, you might hear it or find it that way. if not, pull off the intake. nothing dropped into an engine will pass through harmlessly. good luck

 

I rotated the the engine by hand several times tonight. I didnt hear anything, nothing got stuck. I looked everywhere for the nut, I cant find it. I ran a huge magnet across the oil pan several times and didnt hear anything moving around. I stuck a magnet in every passage and even fished in the oil pan with a length of wire. I cant find it. What would happen if it just lays in the oil pan?

I dont know what to do. I was literally an hour away from firing her up, Im that close to being done. Ive already returned the loaned engine hoist.

Is it possible to drop the oil pan without pulling the engine? I know its real tight and that pan needs at least 5 inches clearance to get by the main caps.

I cant believe Im this close and this happened....

 

first take the intake off and see if u can find it under there. once off u might be able to look down the dizzy hole to see if u can find it in there. also with the intake off u should be able to see and feel behind the motor better.

 

you can get the oil pan out by jacking the engine out of the mounts by about 3-4 inches. cant suggest a good way to do it though. maybe wooden blocks between the mounts, idk. wouldnt it have been easier to time the engine without the carb being on?

 

Is there some bubba way to cut an inspection hole in the oil pan and then reseal it? I know this sounds pretty halfassed but I know Im not the only person to ever have done this. All I know is Im missing a nut and I think its in my engine and I dont want to pull the engine apart!

What about this window in the oil pan thing.......

 

If the nut is in the pan, it won't go anywhere. Some Chevy blocks have a walled off area where the distributor drops down, keeping it more isolated from the lifter valley. And some are open to the lifter valley right below the intakes dist. hole. Is yours the open type or not? If it is, the nut could have deflected and landed somewhere in the valley. Looking down the distributor hole, can you see down into the pan, or at least past the pump shaft? Does it look like there's enough room for the nut to get through?

 

Looking down the distributor hole I can see the oil pump shaft. Just next to that is a space, that Is about a inch passage that curves a bit. I can run a length of wire straight thru to the oil pan from there. Its tough to really see it with the engine back in and everything in place.

 

im gona say if it went to the pan its not goin anywhere and shouldnt case problems there. if it had a way to get under the intake or by the cam gear then it could cause a major failure. did u stick one of them long magnets down the dist hole and see if u could get anything? im tryin to remember if theres any cubby holes in the dist area it could be hiding and cant think of any. can u see any other place other than the hole that goes to the pan were it could be down there like around the cam. so how the heck did u get your head in there to look in there. lol... couldnt have been easy.