Do I have the worse luck?

[PCGUY112887]

OK I must have the WORSE luck ever.

 

I am taking the stock cam out of my 3500, and there was a little piece of the orange rubber gasket that fell down on the cam. Well it was sitting there and I went in to grab it with needle nose pliers, and it FELL DOWN INTO THE HOLE where the oil goes down. From the GM book it looks like it fell straight onto the inside of the crank.

 

NOW what?

 

[Robby1870]

unless you can see it (i.e. it landed on the crank somewhere) you'll have to drop the oil pan.

[Psych0matt]

*worst

 

and yes, taht does suck

[Brian P]

vacuum cleaner with tiny attachment (edge) shove a plastic tube into the vacuum attachment, then put it over the oil passage. There's a chance that would work.

[PCGUY112887]

For some reason I highly doubt a vac will do it, I think it will just suck air through the other oil drain holes for the cam and never provide enough pressure to lift that gasket out.

 

How much crap is in there with the crank? I mean... how easy is it for oil to flow around? I considered pouring a quart of oil into the hole, then pulling the drain plug and pray it comes out.

[Brian P]

that's the thing though. If you can get enough airflow to come thru the hole it fell into, if I'm thinking right (small piece of gasket) might come out. Use an electrolux, canister style.

[Euro]

it sounds like you're gonna have to drop the pan. It's either sitting on the crank somewhere or it already fell into the oil pan.

[PCGUY112887]

Still seems like I could maybe crank it a few times by hand, and add oil through that hole and it would end up in the bottom of the oil pan? If I can get it to the bottom of the oil pan, if I just drain the oil then it SHOULD come out.

 

I am just worried about how hard it would be for the gasket to make it all the way to the bottom. I don't know if it could get really caught up somewhere or what.

[slick]

How big was the said piece of gasket?

[PCGUY112887]

I would say about 1" long at the max, maybe half an inch wide at the max... probably smaller. I considered just leaving it and hoping the filter would grab it, but I was afraid it would get stuck somewhere and stop oil flow. Doubtful but... I dunno. I have an oil pressure guage to go on so I would see if something was wrong.

 

The gasket is a little sliver off the gasket used on 3500 to seal the bottom of the LIM to the block, as opposed to RTV on the 3100/3400. When I pulled, the "top" part of the gasket ripped off and fell down where the cam was. When I removed the cam and went to get it out, it slipped down the hole very furthest to the crank pulley. I can't see it at all, and if I try to stick my finger down it I feel nothing (no crank there, anything).

[slick]

I wouldn't leave it in there. Your really risking a lot doing so. Can you try turning the crank by and to possibly drop it into the pan?

[PCGUY112887]

I will try, but how hard would it be for it to make it all the way down there? Like I said earlier I considered some oil to maybe help it.

[Robby1870]

Yeah, if it's stuck in the hole, pouring oil down that hole will probably force it out and down into the pan. However, there are a couple of baffles in the pan so the odds of it falling down to the drain hole are slim to none. Pulling the pan looks like the only way. I would at least try the vacuum thing Brian suggested....it's worth a shot.