Yes, I dropped a lifter down onto the windage tray. Let's not spend time going over what I did wrong. Suffice to say I thought I had preventive measures in place, but obviously didn't do things correctly.

Is there any way I can retrieve the thing? Is now the time to flatbed it to a local tuner? Thanks.

 

Its possible, most people find a way to get it out.

Sorry to hear that Hope it works out.

 

You've got two problems, getting it out and putting it back in. If you're not prepared to remove the head, then now's the time to tow it.

Sorry that happened to you - good luck.

 

Gotta remove heads and oil pan.
Do not turn the motor at all.
If you're lucky, it dropped in the pan without getting stuck anywhere.

 

I Agree!!! Good luck...

 

Not to rub it in or anything like that, but can I ask what preventative measures you took so others don't make the same mistake? Sorry to hear about this!

 

I am in the process of removing the head, and attempting to retrieve the lifter. One person told me to forget dropping the oil pan and fish it out from the top by removing the intake valley cover. Is this possible?

I will repost with details of what I did wrong. When I first posted, I was just sick and embarrased and didn't want to go into it. I used wooden dowels through the oil channel holes to hold the lifters up, but I did something wrong. I'm still not sure what happened, but I'll find out once I get the head off.

 

I always use the dowel method. I am really surprised to hear this...

 

I use metal rods instead of wood ..same deal.. and I am trying to figure out how your lifter got past the dowel??? Good luck to ya!!

 

How thick was the dowel?

 

the hell is this "dowl method"?

 

^ You stick 2 rods in from the front to hold your lifters up. Beats the hell out of pen mangnets from the heads.

 

do a search for "JPR tool"

 

http://www.ls1howto.com/howto/fbody/...alljprtool.jpg

 

Hi Im in the middle of a 408 stroker in Australia and got to know the engine back to front, just taking the heads off will not give you anymore access to internal areas of the block even with the valley cover off there are only two open holes at either end just above the cam, with cam out more room. The windage tray is going to stop it going into the sump, I bet my left nut that its sitting on there which would mean sump and windage tray off to get at it, If it was me I would look at undoing the engine mount bolts raise the engine a few inches giving more room to lower the sump, get a pen magnet and try to get at it that way. Good luck.

 

I used metal dowels, also. I installed them and put in the pushrods to make sure the lifters were all up. But when I spun the cam every single lifter was still riding on the cam. I just said screw it, held my breath, and russian roulette'd it. Worked out well this time.

 

ive done 3 cam swaps and used that method each time...been luck so far i tried the dowels, but they wouldnt go in.

 

[QUOTE=SouthFL.02.SS]^ You stick 2 rods in from the front to hold your lifters up. QUOTE]

this method sux on the vette. i tried it but rods were way to long with the condensor in the way

 

What size dowels should you use?

 

Here is a visual for the non-dowel person.
And one that I don't suggest due to price and the scare factor of the above.