Big mistake!!! Help!

[pmesfun]

Okay guys, I'm scared shitless right now. As I was removing my front valve cover moments ago, while I was taking it off I hear the sound of some small plastic piece falling into the cylinder head. I thinking it went into a oil passage in the area I am pointing at. What should I do? I already try using a shop vac, nothing came out. Will any damage result? HELP

[carsrus]

What was the plastic from?

It coulda been some old hardened rtv. I wouldn't freak out.

If anything drain the oil and with the drain plug open spray air down the head. It'll be messy so put tons of cardboard under the car.

[SexieWASD]

If I remember correctly those passages just drain back to the pan anyways, so pull the plug off and drain the oil through a strainer, if it doesn't come out then poor some oil through the passage.

[pmesfun]

Originally Posted by carsrus

What was the plastic from?

It coulda been some old hardened rtv. I wouldn't freak out.

If anything drain the oil and with the drain plug open spray air down the head. It'll be messy so put tons of cardboard under the car.

I don't know, as soon as I popped off the cover I heard plastic falling. Maybe I'm overacting and it fell somewhere else in the engine bay. I shop vacuumed everything before I took off the valve covers. Hopefully it drained into oil pan. If not, my dad would kill me if I screw something up.

Originally Posted by SexieWASD

If I remember correctly those passages just drain back to the pan anyways, so pull the plug off and drain the oil through a strainer, if it doesn't come out then poor some oil through the passage.

That's good to hear. I was thinking that, because I put the dipstick all the way down the passage and felt nothing.

[Zembonez]

You have nothing to worry about.

That isn't the only drain in the head and it's unlikely that a piece small enough to fall in there would hurt anything anyway. Even if it stopped up that drain hole partially, the excess oil would just drain back through the other drains. The screen on the oil pickup will prevent it from circulating through the engine once it hits the pan anyway and the next time you change oil it's quite likely that it will come out with the oil.

ROCK ON!

[LynchburgCSI]

I agree with Zembonez.

[pmesfun]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

You have nothing to worry about.

That isn't the only drain in the head and it's unlikely that a piece small enough to fall in there would hurt anything anyway. Even if it stopped up that drain hole partially, the excess oil would just drain back through the other drains. The screen on the oil pickup will prevent it from circulating through the engine once it hits the pan anyway and the next time you change oil it's quite likely that it will come out with the oil.

ROCK ON!

Ok, thats good. I was kind of down because I spent a lot time and money and didn't want to blow the engine. I will drain the oil for peace of mind.

[pmesfun]

Yeah, so I told my dad and he got pretty pissed. Is there clearance to remove the oil pan with removing the exhaust?

[Zembonez]

Originally Posted by pmesfun

Yeah, so I told my dad and he got pretty pissed. Is there clearance to remove the oil pan with removing the exhaust?

NO NEED to pull the pan!

IF the item that you did not see fell in the drain and is now in the pan it can do no harm and will eventually come out during an oil change. The oil pickup has a screen on it that prevents any chunks of anything from being circulated in the engine oil.

Trust us.

[pmesfun]

Ok, makes sense, I forgot about the oil pick up screen. Thanks