Hello,

I have a 2001 Ford F150, with the 4.6L V8 engine at about 150K miles. Persistent P0401, take the throttle body and plenum off to clean it. Sure enough, the EGR passages were complete carbon'd shut. I cleaned them out.

Now, here's the fun part. When trying to take this apart, I managed to drop the 5/16ths headed bolt that holds the plenum on along with a 4 inch long wrench down the side of the intake manifold. I did not drop them down into the intake, but between the intake and the block. I cannot see down there and have been unsuccessful in getting my grabber to hang onto either of them, although I pull up plenty of gunk each time

From looking around online, it seems like the push rods might be exposed on the inside of the "V" in their travel to the head. Is there a cover? Is there any way the wrench and/or bolt might catch on an exposed rod and bend/break/shatter it? Or will the part just rattle around in there forever, until it just falls out on the road somewhere --- if this is the case, I can live with that and just get a replacement bolt tomorrow.

Any ideas about how to get these out without removing the intake manifold, fuel injector rails, etc?

Any advice, comments, experience will be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Desperate F150 Owner

 

no your fine. the 4.6 / 5.4 mod motors are sohc, no lifters and its an enclosed valley. the bolt and wrench might stay there until u pop the intake off and find it.

i'd try a magnet that has a flexible stem.

 

Just use a retractable magnet and fish them out. There's nothing down there to damage really. The knock sensor and water pump pipe to the heater core. You won't affect those at all.

Here's a pic -

 

You only beat me by seconds - but I got a pic of it

 

lol bite me! i was washing atf off my arm. at a stand still i need an extra hand to help with dropping the tranny but my brother walked off pissed off at the t-case...

 

That's a good way to get out of work, wahwah freakin wahhh!!

Hey! Where did the OP get off 2 ? Thought this was urgent ? Maybe we were to late

 

Thank you all for your help.

After reading your replies, I put it all back together and it runs fine ... hopefully that P0401 will stay away (at least for another 100K).

jbrew - the photo of the engine with the intake removed was exactly what I was looking for (but couldn't find before). I wish Haynes would add something like that ... it'd keep noobs like me from freaking out