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  So, I've had a 65 chevelle for 15 or 20 years. Last year while I had a bad case of the initiative I decided to pull the tired 327 out and replace it with a nice 406 with loads of giddyup. I also pulled every wire in the car along with most of the interior. I figured while I was at it I might as well touch up a few body spots. I put the engine minus the distributor and carb in. I finished most all of the wiring on the front half of the car. After a long battle I finally got over the initiative somewhere around fall and stopped working on it.

   The other day I was walking around the barn and stumbled over some gumption and decided to prime the oil pump in the beast. I got the tools out and hopped up in the engine bay. For some reason I pulled the tape off the distributor hole and then commenced to taking the nut off the hold down that was in the way. Yep, dropped that nut straight down the distributor hole. After a some calm soothing words with no cussin at all, I asked myself WWWD "what would widder do". In no time at all I had the answer. I had just done what Widder would do. So, I decided to do what Tennessee would do. I put my tools up and went to Dairy Queen.

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I remember the time I was building a 427 Ford gasser and dropped a nut down thru an intake hole on the manifold. Tried the magnet thing and nothing. Finally took off the intake manifold and still nothing. Really didn't know which cylinder it ended up in. After another hour of sticking the magnet into each intake port and moving it around, found it in the 7th cylinder I tried.

 

I remember a 327 Chevy a friend and I built for his roadster that a nut ended up in a piston. Didn't know where it went (thought it went on the ground), but found out later when the cylinder had almost no compression because the nut went almost thru the aluminum piston. Expensive lesson.

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1 hour ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

I suggest that you write yerself a note explaining what happened and leave it where you will find it just in case you catch an infection of motivation …...

I think I'm gonna try and get inarculated so I don't get that. Sounds scary.

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13 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Can you drop your oil pan and check it?

 

 

Could it get down there reckon? I seen the nut at the top of the oil pump shaft but it fell on down soon as I reached the magnet toward it. I borrowed a camera to put down in there to see if I can see it.

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49 minutes ago, Tennessee williams said:

Could it get down there reckon? I seen the nut at the top of the oil pump shaft but it fell on down soon as I reached the magnet toward it. I borrowed a camera to put down in there to see if I can see it.

If you’re lucky, that’s where it is.

 

You can drain that expensive oil into a clean receptacle and reuse it.

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11 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

If you’re lucky, that’s where it is.

 

You can drain that expensive oil into a clean receptacle and reuse it.

Yep. Bought a new one to do that very thing.

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59 minutes ago, Tennessee williams said:

Oh yeah, and I had just filled it up with 8 qts of 20-50 high zinc oil. 90 bucks worth..

Ya gotta oil prime the engine before start up any how.

Drain and refill-No big deal.

What oil are you using?

OLG

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6 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Ya gotta oil prime the engine before start up any how.

Drain and refill-No big deal.

What oil are you using?

OLG

Wasn't ready to start it up just yet. Was only going to turn it over a bit by the crank. 

I don't know that the nut is in the pan. To pull the pan, I have to take the engine mounts loose and jack it up.

Valvoline 20w50 high zinc

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"What Would Widder DO"?

 

After my trip to DQ, I'd hire me a REAL mechanic to:

 

1st:   Realize we're dealing with 2 nuts.    Get the nut, who dropped the nut,  away from the motor.

B:     Let the REAL mechanic find the lost nut.

3rd:  Let the REAL mechanic remove the nut.

D:     instruct the first nut how to prevent losing his nuts..... :lol:

5:      Go back to DQ for a hot fudge sundae w/nuts..... ;)

 

And that is WWWD!

 

..........Widder

 

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9 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

"What Would Widder DO"?

 

After my trip to DQ, I'd hire me a REAL mechanic to:

 

1st:   Realize we're dealing with 2 nuts.    Get the nut, who dropped the nut,  away from the motor.

B:     Let the REAL mechanic find the lost nut.

3rd:  Let the REAL mechanic remove the nut.

D:     instruct the first nut how to prevent losing his nuts..... :lol:

5:      Go back to DQ for a hot fudge sundae w/nuts..... ;)

 

And that is WWWD!

 

..........Widder

 

 

Probably needs to stop at McDonalds and get a hot caramel Sundae prior to number 5, just in case DQ is out of nuts.

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With the distributor out it is easy to prime/prelube the engine with a dowel & drill motor.  On one end of the dowel cut a slot that fits over the end of oil pump shaft. 

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Back in my younger days living in Sheridan, Wyoming with my young practice wife a neighbor gave me an old 53 Willy’s Jeep. My wife thought it was just a piece of junk and my neighbor told me that it didn’t run. So one Saturday I decided if I could see what the problem was and there was a mouse nesting in the carburetor and the oil bath air filter. Well after a little work and having the carburetor rebuilt I put it back together and it fired right up. It ran so well that the practice wife wanted to go for a ride up in the Big Horn mountains to see if it would induce labor, it didn’t. I drove that thing for three or four years.

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9 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Back in my younger days living in Sheridan, Wyoming with my young practice wife a neighbor gave me an old 53 Willy’s Jeep. My wife thought it was just a piece of junk and my neighbor told me that it didn’t run. So one Saturday I decided if I could see what the problem was and there was a mouse nesting in the carburetor and the oil bath air filter. Well after a little work and having the carburetor rebuilt I put it back together and it fired right up. It ran so well that the practice wife wanted to go for a ride up in the Big Horn mountains to see if it would induce labor, it didn’t. I drove that thing for three or four years.

My first wife's name was "plaintiff".

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My aunt and uncle had a 65 Chevelle SS, 327 4 speed, white with black interior, it was a really nice car until it turned red from rust.

A late model fuel injected 5.3 liter with a 6 speed stick would be a nice addition. 

 

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T.W.! drain the oil as someone suggested.  If you're using the original '65 Chevelle oil pan, (having 8 quart capacity tells me you are not) or if the drain hole is large enough, you MAY be able to fish the nut out through the drain hole with a flexible magnet tool.  It's worth a try before pulling the pan.

 

The nut can only fall into the pan.  It won't end up in a cylinder or up in the valvetrain. If it was visible on top of the oil pump shaft before it completely disappeared, it wouldn't be in the cam galley or the valley under the intake manifold.  I've pulled many pans on Chevelles, big block and small.  You already have the distributor out, so raising the engine isn't too difficult.  Just remember to loosen the fan shroud if you have it installed, or you'll bend stuff that shouldn't get bent.

 

And make sure that nut didn't roll back up under the cam/distributor gear before you go to all of this trouble!  

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take a piece of 3/8th fuel line a few feet long.  about 6 inches from one end, cut a slit large enough to insert the tip of a air nozzle pointing towards the opening.  The opposite end becomes a vacuum when the air is being blown.  Magnets stick to any ferrous metal and can be challenging.  If you want to go high tech order yourself a phone camera bore scope and tape it to you vacuum line.

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16 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

TN,

Is it possible to place a small mess screen on the end of a suction hose, attached to a vacuum?

In other words, suck it out?

 

..........Widder

 

No, not really.

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5 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

T.W.! drain the oil as someone suggested.  If you're using the original '65 Chevelle oil pan, (having 8 quart capacity tells me you are not) or if the drain hole is large enough, you MAY be able to fish the nut out through the drain hole with a flexible magnet tool.  It's worth a try before pulling the pan.

 

The nut can only fall into the pan.  It won't end up in a cylinder or up in the valvetrain. If it was visible on top of the oil pump shaft before it completely disappeared, it wouldn't be in the cam galley or the valley under the intake manifold.  I've pulled many pans on Chevelles, big block and small.  You already have the distributor out, so raising the engine isn't too difficult.  Just remember to loosen the fan shroud if you have it installed, or you'll bend stuff that shouldn't get bent.

 

And make sure that nut didn't roll back up under the cam/distributor gear before you go to all of this trouble!  

I could see the cam gear to the right as I was standing on the engine. The nut was to the left, so maybe I'll get lucky and can fish it out through the drain like you said. Good idea. I started to call you yesterday morning and I got busy at the Redneck Rumble car show in Lebanon, then I went to the Goodguys show in Nashville. I bet I walked 10 miles. Tell Schoolmarm, its almost reunion time.

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6 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

T.W.! 

Oh yeah. The guy I got the engine from had this canister plumbed into the hole above the oil filter. Supposed to be an accumulator, I think. Reckon I ought to put it on or leave it off?

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That IS and accumulator. It looks like a piece is missing or it was gas charged like a gas shock.  There should be a solenoid controlled valve that releases an oil charge into the oil system when the ignition is activated if this is meant for startup.  Some of them are pressure controlled for additional oil in case of starvation of the oil pump when cornering.  

 

I was in Kentucky Friday.  I was around the house and shop all day except for a trip the the grocery, yesterday.

 

Schoolmarm is already planning to attend the reunion.  I think she and Nancy are planning on riding up together. I'll probably be at band practice.

 

You've got my number.  Don't hesitate if I can help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I aint got the nut out yet. Headers will bere here any day now. Guess Im gonna have to pull the pan. Ive had a lot of fun going to DQ to think about working on it, but it may be catchin up with me. My britches is getting tight. I walked by the front of the tv last night and my wife missed a whole episode of her show.

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