Lost! Two Valve keepers

[fudde]

I know I should pull the oil pan and go looking, but...

What are the odds of me toasting my engine if I leave them in the (if thats where they are) oil pan. I recently replaced the valve stem seals and lost two of the keepers down the oil return passages (I didn't learn the first time and lost another one to a different passage). I tried fishing them out with a flexible magnet to no avail. I also drained the oil and tried the magnet again with no luck. The car is all back together (I had spare keepers) and is ready to start.. 'cept I'm a little paranoid.. Shouldn't the pickup tube filter or oil filter prevent them from making into the engine?? Or do I need to bite the bullet and pull the pan? Thanks.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

IF they made it down to the oil pan they would be ok since they are way to big to be picked up by with oil pump. I would pull the pan anyways because I doubt they made it all the way down and are probably stuck in an oil galley somewhere and could cause a restriction and block oil from getting to the head.

 

[fudde]

thanks, I guess I'll go looking - one more gasket/seal won't kill me - I replaced just about every one on the top end including the head gasket (I replaced the stem seals after I put the head back on because I didn't have anything to secure the head down when I had it out of the car (my spring compressor uses manual leverage))... And I told the wife I was done... not good.

 

[BISHILVR]

Its just bad habit and bad workmanship to even CONSIDER leaving parts inside of an engine. If it were me I would pull the engine if I had to. Dont even think about leaving parts floating in there. Would a surgeon leave parts laying around in your body after an operation?

 

[fudde]

you sound like my father. I guess in my younger day I wouldn't think twice about dismantling the engine to find them, but I'm tired of dismantling engines. I'm pretty sure they wound up at the bottom of the oil pan but I will pull it to check..

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Its just bad habit and bad workmanship to even CONSIDER leaving parts inside of an engine. If it were me I would pull the engine if I had to. Dont even think about leaving parts floating in there.

I agree, don't leave anything "floating" around inside the engine.

Would a surgeon leave parts laying around in your body after an operation?

Sometimes.......Yes.

 

[tsiawd1996]

when putting on my new head on my talon tsi the hex key fell out of the socket(### i was low on money and didn't have enough for head studs) and fell into the head then in to the oil passage? sucks well would it fall into the oil pan? or would it be stuck in there? PLEASE HELP!!!! this is a J spec motor?

 

[shaunman1979]

Only one way to tell... Off with the pan. There a good possibility that it made it to the pan. If it did its too heavy and to large for the screen to pick up. Upon pulling my pan for the first time I found all sorts of suprizes that were just waiting for me in there. Here is an easy test. Get a heavy magnet. Drain you oil if you havent already, move the magnet around the bottom of the pan and listen if it might be dragging anything along with it. Im not sure the diameter of the oil plug but if the hex key is small enough you may be able to fish it out of the pan through the drain plug hole. Never assume anything, its not worth trashing your motor.

 

[tsiawd1996]

well the hex part is about a inch maybe less yea that is a good idea about the magnet? thanks you think it would come done i stuck a magnet in the hole but i the hex key was not there so ? idk? i hope it will go to the oil pan?

 

[shaunman1979]

If you dont find it in the pan first off. Get some cheap oil and poor it right down the hole it fell into see if that will flush it through to the pan. Just take your time with it. But by all means dont run it until you have it out or you are confident it is on the pan and wont cause any damage.

 

[BISHILVR]

"Sometimes.......Yes." I knew THAT was coming, open mouth insert foot.

 

[Defiant]

They're probably sitting on top of the splash baffling. And yes, you really should get them out, but I can't see them hurting anything. If they were to get flushed to the bottom of the pan, they'd never get past the pickup screen, but I'd be surprised if they even got washed down. They might get knocked up by a passing big end and somehow, some way get wedged against the block and crank, but I think you'll hit the Lotto before that happens.