Help! 2004 Tacoma Head replacement (dropped washer)

Hey Guys was hoping you could help me, while removing the right side head the washer on the head bolt slipped off and fell into the engine. Iam unsure where the port it fell into goes and was wondering if anyone has a diagram of the oil paths. the washer fell down the large path (the only one it would fit down....) on the bottom left side of the head. (top left of picture) Any help would be appreciated!

 

Long magnetic finger to try reach it? If thats an oil galley you are in a pickle. I dont know if it goes back down to the pan or what. If it does maybe you could try knocking it down into the oil pan. It wouldnt hurt anything down there on the bottom of the pan.

 

Snake a cam in the hole and look for it.
Snake something super sticky to grab it
Snake some beer down your throat.

 

Get a borescope to look

 

tony2018 that sounds like what ima need to do lol. BarnBoy thank you for the advice i will try getting something down there to see if i can see it. Hopefully i can get it to drop down into the oil pan

 

You can get a borescope tips too and go fishing

 

Forgot about the attachments, awesome.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, just went and bought a scope. Going to try it after i get out of work, will let you know how it turns out

 

Shop Vac hooked to small diameter vacuum hose?

 

Just don't do like that other guy who dropped a washer down his engine and start it up... ouy...

 

Yeah that makes a mess. Knew someone who did that with a nut in the cylinder. Beat the crap out of the head and piston. I wouldnt start it with the washer in the engine unless I knew it was for sure in the oil pan.

 

Well can't get the bore scope down the hole far enough nor can I see it in the oil pan, any suggestions?

 

Take an old antenna (or heck even the one from your tacoma) and magnetize it. It should be thin enough to fit down those valleys.

 

Time to get mission impossible with it and mycgyver something together bro.

 

damn. you sure you know which hole it went down? other than that maybe the shop vac, but seal up all the holes except the one you think it went down. magnetized hanger idea is not bad either.

Damn man, this is one of those seemingly little insignificant things that ends up being HUGE.

 

So ended up turning the engine a fraction of an inch and heard it drop, all able to get the scope in further but still don't see it

Do you guys think I should spin the engine to see if it's stuck since where?

 

Did u drain all the oil and look with a longer scope lead?

 

Or look from the oil drain plug side instead

 

If you heard it drop, it's probably in the pan, but if this was my truck I would take the oil pan off and start tearing into that engine until I got that washer out.

 

Yeah oils drained I can't see it, engine spins free