*!~>#^!! fuel pump push rod fell into oil pan!

[Fran Blacker]

You could put a rare earth magnet near oil drain hole once the push rod gets near it it won't move. I have a 1" square rare earth magnet it will hold 75 lbs. Stick on a flat steel surface you'll never pull it straight off, unless you have a grip like a gorilla.

 

[mopar 3 B]

How did a fuel pump rod become valve push rod?

 

[Bighead440]

How did a fuel pump rod become valve push rod?

Did it? I though this was a discussion about things being in the oil pan that didn't belong. LOL

 

[65Fury440]

How did a fuel pump rod become valve push rod?

With enough machining.....

 

[64SF]

Thanks for all the replies....here's how it happened.

In another thread I posted my fuel pump broke in half as you can see from the photo below. Although I've never seen this happen, perhaps others on the site may have some comments or experienced a similar situation.

When it came apart it did make a lot of noise and obviously quit pumping fuel...fortunately I was parked in the driveway when it happened. The mounting flange was still attached (the bolts were tight) to the engine block. I removed the flange, pulled the plug (for the push rod) and removed the rod. There was no damage to the push rod.

I found a pump locally (only one in town) and while pushing the rod through the hole it "tilted" and took a nose dive down the oil return chute to the oil pan....I heard it hit the pan. I fished for it with a flexible magnet retrieving tool for an hour via the fuel pump mount cavity...no success. Tomorrow I'll try through the drain plug....we'll see.

 

[69Bee]

Get another shaft and you will be fine. There is NO way that the one in the oil pan can cause any damage. The next time you take the oil pan off, you can retrieve it.

 

[65Fury440]

Would there be any issue with putting a big rare earth magnet on the oil pan to hold it in place?

 

[WP29440SE]

ok I must have missed it but, I've probably changed 127 big and small block mechanical fuel pumps in my days , and I have NEVER , seen no phucked up **** like a pump broke in half wtf?
that is just absolutely ridiculous

 

[69Bee]

Would there be any issue with putting a big rare earth magnet on the oil pan to hold it in place?

Waste of time as it isn't going to do any harm. The oil is too thick to allow it to bounce around, and it is highly unlikely to roll forward or back enough to climb out of the sump, especially if the pan has oil baffles.

 

[moper]

Unless the passage in the block actually broke I can't see how any pump pushrod could get enough "angle" to hit the pan. I'd be looking at the block carefully - there might be a reason that pump broke as it did. For what it's worth - in 32 years of only Mopars, including all the customers I've had - I've never seen that break. I think you have something else amiss in there.

 

[64SF]

Unless the passage in the block actually broke I can't see how any pump pushrod could get enough "angle" to hit the pan. I'd be looking at the block carefully - there might be a reason that pump broke as it did. For what it's worth - in 32 years of only Mopars, including all the customers I've had - I've never seen that break. I think you have something else amiss in there.

Thanks I’ll check to see if I can see anything else.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Need to pull distributor if you haven't already. MO.

 

[MOPOWER871]

I would pull the timing cover 1, to fish out the pump rod in question while the covers off you can get a good look at that area of the block use a flexible magnetic wand.as MOPER said this is a first for me also.

 

[khryslerkid]

 

[64SF]

Thanks for the video!
I'm thinking what I may have done is inserted the push rod through the pump opening and not the plug opening (I know what a dumb a**) and when I did the rod took it's dive into the pan. I have a new push rod coming and is supposed to be here tomorrow.

 

[Mike67]

Just curious do you have a windage tray? That would be my worry if its sitting on top and not really down in the pan...some brands run the entire length of the pan before opening up...

 

[mopar 3 B]

Mopar performance and DC trays are open front and back. Possible it could be sitting on the tray but not likely. Worst that could happen would be rod caps beating it all the way to the other end of the tray.

But in the case of the OP anythings possible.

 

[Don Frelier]

I did the same thing last fall. I took the pan off, time consuming but not real difficult. I was glad afterwards because the previous owner must have used a ton of additives or something, there was quite a bit of greasy residue in the oil kind of like wheel bearing grease. I cleaned the pan and painted it while it was off.
But this one had no windage tray.

 

[64SF]

No windage tray stock 64 pan....know more tomorrow. Pulled the coil wire (just in case there was gas left in carb) and cranked the engine...no noise.

Don^^^^ thanks for your comment. Was the rod in the bottom of the pan?

 

[Don Frelier]

Yes sir, right where you would expect it and pre-oiled for installation I might add...