Bolt head lost into the engine (1 Viewer)

[njc1230]

Howdy all,
I was reassembling the fuel rails on my 2000 Land Cruiser when I managed to snap the head off one of the bolts for the passenger side fuel regulator. Normally this would be a bad situation, but what's made it much worse is that I'm about 90% certain that the bolt head went into one of the oil drainage passages and into the oil pan since the washer landed on top of a camshaft next to the oil passage. (I had the valve covers off and they were the next thing to be reinstalled.)

So far I've scoped the drainage passages and found them clear of any bolt heads, and I've drained the oil from the engine hoping that the bolt head would drain out with the oil. My suspicion is that bolt head is stuck on a weird ledge inside the oil pan, or is on top of the baffle plate. I know a lot of people would say that I should drop the oil pan, but I don't have a lift, space, or tools available to get the front diff out of the way. Shops in the area have quoted me $2300 to pull the oil pan, and I would rather not have this situation turn into that.

Anyone had a similar situation and have any advice as to what I could do? The next idea that I'm trying tonight is pour oil down the oil passage with the drain plug out to see if it will "wash" the bolt head into the bottom of the pan and out of the engine.

 

[RapidRob]

Howdy all,
I was reassembling the fuel rails on my 2000 Land Cruiser when I managed to snap the head off one of the bolts for the passenger side fuel regulator. Normally this would be a bad situation, but what's made it much worse is that I'm about 90% certain that the bolt head went into one of the oil drainage passages and into the oil pan since the washer landed on top of a camshaft next to the oil passage. (I had the valve covers off and they were the next thing to be reinstalled.)

So far I've scoped the drainage passages and found them clear of any bolt heads, and I've drained the oil from the engine hoping that the bolt head would drain out with the oil. My suspicion is that bolt head is stuck on a weird ledge inside the oil pan, or is on top of the baffle plate. I know a lot of people would say that I should drop the oil pan, but I don't have a lift, space, or tools available to get the front diff out of the way. Shops in the area have quoted me $2300 to pull the oil pan, and I would rather not have this situation turn into that.

Anyone had a similar situation and have any advice as to what I could do? The next idea that I'm trying tonight is pour oil down the oil passage with the drain plug out to see if it will "wash" the bolt head into the bottom of the pan and out of the engine.

First of all make absolutely certain that it's not still up around the cams anywhere, It is more likely to destroy your engine there than in the oil pan.
If it truly made it to the oil pan, it is highly unlikely to cause any problems. it'll just ride there for 400,000 more miles. I have a bolt riding in the oil pan of my GM diesel 6.5 that's been there for ten years. I was paranoid about it so I added a large magnet to the outside bottom of the pan to catch and hold it if it happened to move around much. Ultimately you have to decide if you are comfortable with that but I had forgotten about mine until you brought it up.

 

[excessive]

rotate the engine by hand, to make sure there isn't any interference. if it's made its way down to the oil pan, it can sit there safely as there is no way it could be picked up by the oil strainer

 

[2yotanerd]

I was paranoid about it so I added a large magnet to the outside bottom of the pan to catch and hold it if it happened to move around much.

Pretty clever idea!