I don't see it falling down into the pan that easily. I wouldn't have rotated it without pulling the intake off and looking around first, but it's too late for that. Pull the intake and look around for the nut. I would say that sitting somewhere in the lifter valley is more likely. If not, I would get a super strong, super small telescoping magnet and fish around the oil pump shaft.

Of course this is after looking around on the garage floor, the transmission bell housing, and the frame rails.

 

For a measly $580, this will help you find your nut! It could come in handy for other stuff too.
http://www.spy-equipment-buying-guid...ic-scopes.html

 

Thanks 69, you got 579 dollars I can borrow? I spent all my money on the engine....

Im gonna look at again tonight. I didnt sleep real well last night and I may resort to drinking (more than usual) before this is over. This truly sucks.

 

Can you rent a boroscope from someplace. When I was in the Air Force, we use to do inspections in impossable to get to locations with one. They are lighted and can bend into some pretty tight locations. We used them for engine and airframe inspections and can be had in different leangths. Might be worth the bucks to try and rent one to take a look as to yanking the motor apart.

 

Well guys, the nut is NOT in the lifter valley. Its NOT sitting on the oil shaft or anywhere visible thru the oil shaft hole. I ASSUME this means its sitting in one of two places....

Sitting in the oil pan
Sitting, hidden somewhere around the bell housing or the floor of my garage, (but for the life of me, I cant find it)

Where else could it POSSIBLY be? (Im asking a serious question....not in lifter valley, not visible anywhere the back of engine.....)

So, now Im stuck with the treacherous decision....do I pull the engine and tear it down or leave it? Believe it or not, your input may decide how I go with this as my brain is totally fragged from stressing about this.

 

Is your distributor shaft hole isolated from the lifter valley?
I suppose it could also be resting on top of the oil pump sump, until it falls off.

 

its up to u. i could go either way on it. i have lost a nut before like u have and never thought twice about it. ran the motor, i was young and dumb. found the dang nut a long time latter on the frame of the car, inside the frame. unlike u i was pulling the motor after losing the nut and found it when the motor was out of the way. wasnt even looking for it, just happened to find it. i take it u took the intake off and looked.

 

Yeah, pulled the intake tonight. Nothing.....

 

Is the space where your distributor shaft passes through isolated from the lifter valley?

 

Im not sure of the question........my distributor shaft sits on a shelf that is slightly below the oil valley. I can just see the edge of a crank counterbalance. If I were to drop something in the oil valley, it would roll back to the oil shaft hole and fall in....and theoretically then fall into the pan.