Dropped Pcv Valve Into Engine Bay... Can't Seem To Get Out, Help&#

[intellivised]

OK. So while replacing my PCV valve and grommet I encountered a bit of a snafu. I dropped to PCV valve I was putting in. Worst part of it was instead of hearing the reassuring plinko sound of it hitting a few things and then the cement floor I just heard a *clunk*. Thinking it landed on something I backed the car out of the garage and tried to... shake it loose. No dice.

So I opened the hood and looked in, and wouldn't you know it, 1 in a million shot. Underneath the engine where the PCV valve is there is some sort of metal... pan? It has two holes in it and the PCV valve is sitting in one of those, all shiny and new looking right back up at me. Here's the problem... I can't, for the life of me, get it out. Get ready to laugh - here's what I've tried:

I have one of those big telescoping magnet tools, good to 4lbs. After a lot of trying (it kept grabbing the engine block) I finally got it in. One of two things happened:

- It either magnetized the piece TO the bottom of this area

or

- The tray is magnetized.

So after that the attempts got a little more esoteric.

- Grill (scissor) tongs

- Cut up plastic hanger

- Metal hanger

- Salad tongs

I can usually snake my way to the point where I can make contact with the valve but can't seem to move it. A quick two block trip has revealed it hasn't moved at all.

Questions:

Is there a magnet underneath of some sort? Is this part of the engine bay designed to catch things that are dropped?

How do I get this out? It's a tight fit so my hand won't squeeze in, I can't get enough leverage to budge it with everything else as it seems, well... stuck. Even my magnet extractor won't work.

OR

Do I even need to worry? I'm getting an oil change in like a week up at our Toyota dealership. I'm assuming they might have something that can grab it?

[Bali26]

A photo would help.

Sounds like it went in a hole in exhaust manifold cover.

Try jacking up the car and reaching from the bottom?

[intellivised]

A photo would help.

Sounds like it went in a hole in exhaust manifold cover.

Try jacking up the car and reaching from the bottom?

I'll grab a photo now (all I have is a cellphone camera). Jacking up the car won't do any good, it's more of a reach from underneath, I think....

[intellivised]

Photo is near impossible to get. There is no good angle and I have the worst phone ever for this (seriously, the take picture button is on the other side of the phone as the lens....) so no picture. I think this is actually BELOW the manifold. I'm trying to find a picture somewhere else. I gave it another go with the magnetic tool and still no dice.

[intellivised]

Additional info: Through some really serious contortions on my part I was able to get my fingers in the hole and onto the PCV valve. I can't move it. It's either hardcore magnetized, stuck or melted. I can't even wiggle it! At least it's not going anywhere and the car *should* be safe to drive. I wish I could get to it with a camera but I can't. I'm going to do a lap around town just to make sure this thing it really stuck.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

[AzHotLS]

If you can't move it, I guess the pick up tool I recommended in your CL post may not work.

Under the manifold? You mean in the "valley" where the starter is? Here is a pic:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/3157913-post21.html

If that's where it's at, then you should be safe driving until you can get it out.

[intellivised]

If you can't move it, I guess the pick up tool I recommended in your CL post may not work.

Under the manifold? You mean in the "valley" where the starter is? Here is a pic:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/3157913-post21.html

If that's where it's at, then you should be safe driving until you can get it out.

Under the light of day I think I can see what happened. The PCV I got at Auto Zone was the non-black kind and when it fell it fell into one of the two areas formed by the exhaust manifold (drivers side) that are... cups? Trays? The manifold has a metal bottom with holes on top that form a sort of tray. It was hard to tell in the dark last night. That's where my PCV landed, three point shot from downtown right smack in the tray. I'm guessing there were some impurities in whatever was used to make the valve as when it to touched the presumably still hot manifold it... well... melted. I can't wiggle it, I can't budge it, I can't do anything. It's flash bonded/melted onto the outside of the manifold... but... just barely. It's not deformed. But you can look and it seems to be melted (i.e. no visible line between edge of manifold and where this is).

I'm officially 'not worried about it' since I went on a 100+ mile road trip today and the thing hasn't moved. I even got the business end of a small crowbar down there and it ain't moving. It has bonded with where it landed and there it shall stay. Unless someone out there has some genius science idea (dry ice? ha) to get it out it's officially going to 'stay there'. I have to schedule an oil change this week and have a good relationship with the Lexus techs at a place in Colorado so I'll just ask them what's up.

I mean - doesn't seem to be in any danger of getting sucked up into anything or even getting loose.

[intellivised]

Just for closure: I took a breaker bar and some free help from the local garage, but we got that stupid thing out.

Insult to injury: I was sold the wrong kind of PCV valve.

[Will B.]

Thanks for sharing this story - I enjoyed keeping up with it :) Glad it turned out well in the end.