I almost lost a small torque bit down intake #6 pushrod hole . Scary. I think I know what my options would have been but curious if other ideas. Magnet on a string - 10% chance Pull cam and drop to pan and fish it out ( cry cry ) --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?h2xq1h

Oh My... That would be a problem... The best thought would be to pull everything off the driver side (VP44, fuel filter, etc) and pull the cam cover off.

Wouldn't it fall down further and sit on cam ? --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?uyogrp

When i changed my cam i pulled the dowl out and found a clean spot on it:doh:, What happened is as i was pushing the dowl on the wood splintered. First i took the tapet cover off (like the picture Mike posted) nothing at all. I drained the oil into a screen and found nothing, then i put a wire in the hole to no avail. I had to jack the engine up to remove the oil pan. I found the pc of wood.You never know where it will stop when something gets droped down. I sure would try the easiest thing first if i ever drop stuff in again.

Yeah thats what I was thinking cam out and down to the pan --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?zgdizk

As you look at the pic above the tappets fill the 2 holes and the push rods go up from there... If you had the luck on your side the bit wouldn't make it to the hole in-between the tappets that drops down in the cam area. That's why I suggest the tappet cover.But this is all in theory...

OMG, I'm having nightmare flashbacks. I was pulling a carberator off a marine V8. I was threading the nuts back on the studs when I freaking fumbled one, got by the rag I had over the intake & disappeared. I just sat there stunned. I was just hoping it didn't find an open valve. I fished each runner with a bent wire & a magnet taped on. Yay!! Found it!! No, I couldn't charge on the time, but I didn't have to explain a tear down that hadn't been needed. I taped a piece of cardboard on there quick. I knocked a whole set of 3/8 drive sockets off a customer's starboard engine. I tried to fish under it with magnets but didn't recover them. I told the boat's owner & I bought another set of Craftsmen sockets & went back to work. That fall when I hauled the boat for winter storage, the owner brought me the complete set. When he put the boat up on plane (32 foot Egg Harbor) he'd hear the sockets rolling around. He's look back by the rudders & one by one fished them out! Thanks Bruce! I still have that set. I'm sure I did other clumsy things in my almost 20 years turning wrenches on the boats. My brother headed up the yard & dock crew... always bought the discount store hammers. Never wore them out... The hammers had a habit of swimming off the docks & not worth recovery attempts.

Pull the cam....and then there is no use to putting used parts back in. Had a friend drop a little washer into his VW rabbit engine couldnt find it. He got pissed and started it up and rev the crap out of it. We could hear it dancing in the intake. He took it for a drive on the interstate. When he came back, no more noise. I wonder where that washer ended up. I hate it when you drop something and it doesnt hit the ground.