# Need help. Dropped screw while replacing valve cover



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

TazMania said:


> I have a 15 cruze that I've been wanting to mod for a while but it threw up the classic P0171 before I got started. I figured I might as well take care of it and make sure all is good before upgrading anything. It was all going well until I was using one of the old valve cover bolts that was broken to make sure the holes weren't stripped before putting the new cover on, when it slipped out of my fingers and fell into the open engine. I've tried finding it with a magnet to no avail, even checked the cylinder itself in case it fell in there. Short of dropping the oil pan, which is a little out of my league, I don't know what to do. I wanted to see if anyone knows how likely it is to be in the oil pan or how safe it is to start it up or not. The piece of screw in question isn't even an inch long. And I'll attach a picture of (generally) where it fell. Getting a little desperate.


Use MS paint and put an arrow on the picture. 

Don't start it up.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

I would but I'm not 100% sure what direction it fell in, just that it was between these two gears, not on the side near the spark plugs


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

TazMania said:


> I would but I'm not 100% sure what direction it fell in, just that it was between these two gears, not on the side near the spark plugs


Use reply if you want to notify that you have replied.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

Blasirl said:


> Use reply if you want to notify that you have replied.
> 
> 
> View attachment 289835


Appreciate it, I'm new to this. And yes that's right around where.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

Drain the oil and look for the screw in it.
If you can get it to come out with the oil, it probably wasn't positioned to do any harm, but at least you'd know for sure. 

When a Powerstroke 7.3L broke a piston cooling nozzle, I was draining the oil, saw something come out, and heard a clunk when it landed in the pan. But the nozzle started out on the bottom of the engine block, there was nowhere for it to go other than in the oil sump. They had to pull the cab off the truck to pull the engine to pull the oil pan. I'm glad that was under warranty.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

TazMania said:


> Appreciate it, I'm new to this. And yes that's right around where.


Definitely DO NOT START THE CAR. If you don't find it with a magnet it looks like you might have to remove the timing cover.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Try one of these and go fishing https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CXX3TDP/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1MMHS5JLYMM0C&psc=1


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

JLL said:


> Definitely DO NOT START THE CAR. If you don't find it with a magnet it looks like you might have to remove the timing cover.


Is that a difficult job? I'd hate to create more problems in the process of finding this screw.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

Thebigzeus said:


> Try one of these and go fishing https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CXX3TDP/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1MMHS5JLYMM0C&psc=1


Have one and I tried as well as magnetizing a cloths hanger to reach better but couldn't find it.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

TazMania said:


> Is that a difficult job? I'd hate to create more problems in the process of finding this screw.


Yes, a huge job IMO.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

TazMania said:


> Is that a difficult job? I'd hate to create more problems in the process of finding this screw.


Might just be sitting on the lip of the lower timing cover. Shouldn’t be too much to just remove the cover and take a look.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

Thebigzeus said:


> Yes, a huge job IMO.


I've been told that it may be stuck somewhere in the path that oil flows through, which


Maqcro1 said:


> Might just be sitting on the lip of the lower timing cover. Shouldn’t be too much to just remove the cover and take a look.


Any good links showing how to do this? Much appreciated.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

TazMania said:


> I've been told that it may be stuck somewhere in the path that oil flows through, which
> Any good links showing how to do this? Much appreciated.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

Thebigzeus said:


>


Thank you very much for your help. Wish me luck


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

TazMania said:


> I've been told that it may be stuck somewhere in the path that oil flows through, which
> Any good links showing how to do this? Much appreciated.


it’s been awhile but I believe you need to remove passenger tire and wheel well.
Take off the drive belt and the crank pulley. Then it should just be whatever bolts are holding on the lower cover.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Oh Man For some reason I was thinking of the 1.8L.... yeah the LT is a pain to remove the cover. Good luck 😂


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

TazMania said:


> I've been told that it may be stuck somewhere in the path that oil flows through, which
> Any good links showing how to do this? Much appreciated.


update?? you are experiencing one of my top DIY fears 😅😅.

one does not simply pull off the timing cover =p

it would be a lot less work to remove the oil pan. 

may the force be with you.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Thanks for the video @Thebigzeus . It's a good reference.

OP: Good luck! Please post with an update.


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## TazMania (Dec 15, 2020)

UPDATE: I wanna thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate it. The process to removing the time cover was a bit daunting so I wanted to try one last hail mary. I bought this fancy shmancy magnetic pickup that had claws and everything and started digging. I FOUND IT. However I guess I just pushed it around enough to fall into the oil pan because I heard it bounce a couple times and then a nice clunk from below the car. I went ahead and set up the pcv fix kit and put the valve cover back on. I prayed to every god I could think of and started her up. I'm happy to report nothing out of the ordinary AND my check engine light is gone. I'm over the moon.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

TazMania said:


> UPDATE: I wanna thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate it. The process to removing the time cover was a bit daunting so I wanted to try one last hail mary. I bought this fancy shmancy magnetic pickup that had claws and everything and started digging. I FOUND IT. However I guess I just pushed it around enough to fall into the oil pan because I heard it bounce a couple times and then a nice clunk from below the car. I went ahead and set up the pcv fix kit and put the valve cover back on. I prayed to every god I could think of and started her up. I'm happy to report nothing out of the ordinary AND my check engine light is gone. I'm over the moon.


Your either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Time will tell. Good luck.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Awesome to hear! Made my night.


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## thebac (Jul 29, 2017)

TazMania said:


> UPDATE: I wanna thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate it. The process to removing the time cover was a bit daunting so I wanted to try one last hail mary. I bought this fancy shmancy magnetic pickup that had claws and everything and started digging. I FOUND IT. However I guess I just pushed it around enough to fall into the oil pan because I heard it bounce a couple times and then a nice clunk from below the car. I went ahead and set up the pcv fix kit and put the valve cover back on. I prayed to every god I could think of and started her up. I'm happy to report nothing out of the ordinary AND my check engine light is gone. I'm over the moon.


You are one lucky SOB.  Now go buy a couple lottery tickets.....


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Next oil change, take a strong magnet and pull the scew to the drain hole and remove it.


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