Just bad luck

[mike7570]

Reading the oiling issue posted by SAcobra427 I decided to button up the bottom end of my 428 stocker motor and put some oil in it to check if everything is okay.
With gaskets between the block, oil scraper and windage tray I used up a lot of gasket sealer and let everything dry. I installed a filter and was just about ready. I had the inspection cover off my new FE Power timing cover and picked it up to screw it on. Now Jay decided to include these nice shiny stainless button head screws to hold it on. (They are pretty small) well in my fat fingers I tried to start the first one and it slipped out of my grasp. Where did it go, well of course with my luck it snuck right through a slight gap straight inside the timing chain area and plunked it's way into the oil pan    I'm sure some others have dropped things into the engine but this always seems to be my luck!  (my new borescope arrives Saturday)

[jayb]

Ugh, sorry to hear about that, those screws can be slippery little buggers...

[TomP]

Find a clean drain pan and see if it comes out with the oil. If not fish around with a stiff wire.

[mike7570]

No oil in pan yet, The Milodon pan has a pretty small drain hole. I checked another screw from the outside and it’s going to be difficult to get it out through the drain. The borescope I ordered comes with a magnet attachment and hopefully I can fish it out through the same timing cover. I thought about hanging the block from my engine hoist to see if I can shake it out the front cover but I’m worried that may only get it lodged somewhere and then the pan and all of the gaskets have to come off. I wanted a borescope anyway.

[mike7570]

Success, the new borescope arrived and I located the screw In the oil pan. I moved it close to the drain hole and was trying to figure out how to get it out the hole. It dawned on me to try my shop vac. I put the hose over the drain hole and turned it on. It sucked the screw right out with no problem.

[blykins]

I think we probably all have those kinds of days every now and again.

I was putting a 390 together once and I always fill the engine and prime on the engine stand, without the intake on, etc. 

I can't remember exactly which oil I was using, but it had the little foil caps that you have to tear/cut away when you unscrew the cap to the bottle.  I remember that I took my knife and cut the foil tab up so that there was a big hole, but the tab was still attached to the bottle. 

I was pouring away when I saw the foil piece detach from the bottle and swim right towards a drain hole in the lifter valley.  It disappeared. 

Couldn't see it at all, so I had to drop the pan. 

[TomP]

I dropped a stainless header bolt down the header while working on a friends car. Problem is you can't get the header or collector or exhaust system out in the car. The engine has to be out first! After a long day of trying everything I used a piece of old garden hose with duct tape wrapped sticky side out. Magnets won't get a stainless bolt.

[shady]

My bad luck changed into really, really good luck. Yesterday I thought I would finish my 445 build. I wanted to see how my rockers were oiling since I changed my mind and decided to oil thru the pushrods. Intake was still off and I Spun the pump and one rocker wouldn't oil. Thought I would turn the crank  half a turn & rotate the lifter a little. Still no oil. Turned the crank another half turn and the cam didn't go with it. WTF. Pulled the whole front of the motor and timing chain and low and behold my dowel pin was too short. When I put it together last year, I had to grind the pin shorter which was strange as I always had to put a spacer behind them on Comp cams. I pulled the heads to see that there was no ptv contact and all was good. The dry rocker finally did oil after I spun the drill wide open. So... if it hadn't been for the dry rocker I would have buttoned it up and probably destroyed it with the valves hitting the pistons while trying to start it in the car. Good luck indeed.