I am dumb enough to drop a nut down the LIM tonight, and it seems like it went down quite far, i can't even see it with a flash light from up top. I Drained the oil/coolant, disconnected everything required to take out the LIM. But once the LIM is off I still didn't see the nut. I can't really see anything through the port either (very limited view considering standing on the passenger side fender looking down).


Anyone have any good idea for taking that nut back out without tearing the engine apart? (I have never tried and i don't know how, well at least i don't know how to put it back in one piece and make it run..)



I am gonna have a nightmare tonight....

 

Which runner did it fall down? I once had a little plastic cap fall into the rear intake runner, which fortunately stopped before falling into the combustion chamber. If you dropped a nut, fishing a magnet on a bendable rod into the port would be a good idea. If it fell in, you can try removing the exhaust manifold, then rotate the engine by hand to see if it will pop out.

 

It fell through the front intake runner (the 4th one if counting from the firewall), i tried to fish it but no luck, guess i will take down the exhaust tomorrow and try rotating the engine.

Btw when i took out the LIM, i noticed a feed line came from the brake booster that connects to the LIM, when i just checked the FSM, it shows that it is suppose to be on the UIM, and I was trying to replace/reroute all the vac lines and i only had 2 nipples at the back of the UIM instead of 3 (for s4 TII).

 

try using a shop vac

 

Be very careful rotating the engine with debris inside..if it starts to feel like it's getting stuck, it's probably crushing that hardened nut into the soft housings.

If it were me, I'd probably make damned sure I couldn't get it out with a magnet on a stick, via every hole in the engine....then I'd pull the engine and try and fish it out that way.

 

I dropped a nut in once removing the UIM, a magnet fished it easily.

Get one that has a flexible shaft

 

if its in the combustion chamber then yeah exhaust port would be how i would get in there. just make damned sure its not hung up in the manifold before you do all that work

 

use compressed air...shoot it down the opposite runner for the same rotor that you dropped something down, it should pop out.

 

Hahaha I did the same thing about 4 years ago. Tried everything. Shop vac doesn't have enough pull. Depending on how big it is (if it's a nut then you should be ok) you should be able to get it out using one of those magnets on a flexible rod. Mine was a 12mm socket. Had to get the car towed to a dealership where they used an electromagnet to get it out. Huge pain in my *** but it's a quick lesson in WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS STUFF A RAG INTO THE RUNNERS.
Good luck! Let us know if you get it.

 

Sounds like you've got a JDM UIM/LIM. On USDM cars the brake booster feed line connects to the back of the UIM, on a JDM it connects to the LIM. Not a big deal as long as both manifolds are JDM.

 

You put a rag in any intake runners BEFORE you drop something in there. haha, sorry to be so cruel. Anyways magnet, compressed air, try everything before you turn that motor, even if you are turning it by hand. GL.

 

We have all done this. A shop vac or a magnet should get it out. Worst case scenario, you might have to take off the lower intake manifold to get a magnet in the intake ports. The only instance that I couldn't retrieve a nut was when it never actually fell in. It landed under the primary rail, out of sight. Good luck!!

 

DID that and got the Tshirt.
Fixed it by taking the Lower manifold off..it was Right THERE..(got it before it fell inside the Engine).
I honestly thought I would have no problem changing injector Grommets..BUT,my finger slipped and WHAM it went in!!!
NOW?.I know.put RAGS in manifold..ALWAYS>ALWAYS!!!!

 

I was going to say as last resort tilt the car and shake the **** out of it till it came out

 

Try to position the the rotor in the best possible position to fish it out with a magnet. Sounds like a bad idea to try and push it out the exhaust side, its gonna get pretty tight when you come around on the compression stroke.

 

^ Rotate the engine backwards...Slowly...It will likely be removable through the intake port.

 

Finally got that damn nut out after messing around for couple hours, thanks for all above.

 

Which way did it come out. through the manifold or through the exhaust?

I dropped a socket down into the oil pan through the cas hole. luckily i fished it back out though

 

Came out from the exhaust after rotating the engine.

 

Now hope your housing is ok after all this.