I was working on my 98 Expe 5.4 and I dropped a 7mm socket and 3" extension. It fell by the #7 coil plug and went down under the intake. I looked for about 30 minutes. I can't find the darn thing. I used a flashlight but I couldn't see very well. I also fished a magnetic wand around the intake area with no luck. Also, while looking there is a large piece of plastic in there that I guess is broken from something. Its too big to pull out. Is that part of the lower intake? I don't have any motor issues, no CEL's. But I am very concerned about that. Has anyone dropped a tool in this area and how did you find it and retrieve it? And does anyone know what is in the intake area that is plastic that could have broken?

 

not sure what the plastic piece is but did drop my ext. and socket when i was changing out my iac. it took forever in a day to get it out, using a extended magnet and a few choice words and some time. as far as the piece maybe you can get a shot of it some kind of way.

 

Did a google search and found out its an insulator in there. I guess quite a few people have found it dried up and broken in there. So I'm not too worried. I'll see if I can break it and pull out the pieces. I bet my socket and extension are hiding under it. I did take a pic, but you can't really see it thru the small space.

 

I forgot to tell you, I got mine back by going thru the front where the small space is. If you have someone with small hands and skinny arms is a plus.

 

Fished around again today with no luck on the socket and extension. Oddly enough with the magnet, I pulled out a small bolt with a washer attached to it. No idea where it came from. Its got an 8mm head on it and its about an inch and a half long. Biggg, maybe I'll make my 7 year old reach in there.

 

I seem to remember working on my truck, front end up in the air (higher than the rear so that the vehicle is at an angle) and working on a coolant leak at the thermostat housing. Point is, I remember water running down the intake valley and running out the back of the engine around the transmission. If you were working around the #7 coil, it might be back near the rear of the engine and worth trying to access from underneath. Maybe a magnet on a long, flexible extension? I'm not sure how feasible that is as I don't recall how much room there is from the bottom side.

 

Fished around again and got it out with the magnet yesterday.

 

Feel better now?