I am just about done wiht the intake manifold gasket replacement but due to the tension on the fuel lines I lost a nut. I was trying to bend the fuel lines back down into the spider and had them seated, I was putting the bracket in and fumbled with one of the locking nuts. It shot off and I heard a the sound of metal major bummer. It is a good possibility that it went into one of the six ports on the top side of the manifold. These are the intake ports for the head I believe and I am afraid of where that locking nut may have ended up. I used a magnetic tool to search around the top of the manifold and into the ports but later realized that the nut is aluminum and would not stick. I hope I did not push it further down the ports. I want to ask if I should uninstall the manifold and check to see if the locking nut is in those ports? It is possible it ended up somewhere else but six large holes nearby is my guess LOL. I really dred the process because I had to remove the power steering pump pulley to get to the last bolt on the manifold and install and removal of the pulley is crazy hard with the fan blades so close. I would love some input guys LOL thanks in advace HC

 

If you ignore the lost nut and end up trashing the top end, you will be cussing yourself for it. Hate to say it, but it is better to redo the intake than to take a chance.

 

When I replaced my fuel pressure regulator last month I did the exact same thing. One of the torx screws that hold the regulator fumbled in my fingers and fell in the driver side intake. I knew which one it was. It looked like one of those dramatic basketball shots. Bounced on the edges a couple times before taking the plunge. I was able to rig up a little device. Took a good small magnet and bent the end of a coat hanger to hold it. It took 10 minutes of fishing it out but was able to dig it out. WHEW! but yeah, you won't want to leave that down in there.

 

OOps sorry, didn't see the part about the nuts being aluminum. That sucks. Well best suck it up and rip it apart. and stick some paper towels in the ports to keep that from happening again.

 

Go to your local parts store and pick up a mechanical pickup tool, the upper intake is easy to take off so you may as well take it off. Then you should(hopefully) be able to see the nut and grab it. Id make sure it wasn't hiding between the distributor and the intake manifold as well before you take it off, theres some nice pockets back there a bolt/screw/nut will like to hide.

 

I agree I would hate to trash the head. I dont know what posistion the valves are in so hopefully it did not make it past the valve seat? I was using compressed air to clean around the top of the manifold hoping it would pop out somewhere? My thought now is what if I pushed it out of the lower manifold and into the intake ports on the block? Holy $hit this is not good, major bummer I think I will use a vacume to suck try and suck it up. Thanks for the advice guys I really do appreciate some calming words in my paniced state LOL Alright wish me luck LOL

 

I do not recall an aluminum nut being used anywhere on the upper plenum... Stainless maybe (which is non-magnetic too), but aluminum...

 

oh ya forgot stainless DOH thanks so I have removed everything for the second time and still no luck? No nut to be found??? I have also removed the valve covers so I could clean them up and hoped to maybe reveal some more hiding places, but agian no luck? Do you think I should remove the heads? How much work is involved in removing the heads? I should then be able to see if the little bastard made it's way down the runners and into the intake ports to the valve right? I can see the four bolts on the inside of the bottom of the head, does the exhaust manifold need to come off on both sides also? I think I should remove the heads what do you guys think? I dont guess pouring some oil into the top of the heads to try and get the nut to make its way to the oil pan would be just too easy right? As you can tell I am not sure of where or what kind of room there is between the valve and the intake? Thanks again HC

 

You do not happen to know anyone with a mechanic's (bore) scope do you?

Did you see if it came out from one of the runners in the LIM?

 

a bore scope ? no I sure dont bummer hungh? great tools can make things so much better How hard is it to remove the heads? the valve assembly can stay intacted correct? If I could take off the heads then I could see exactly if the missing nut was in there right? I would feel better to just rule out that in may have made it's way in there, thanks in advance HC

oh the LIM is that the lifter valley?