OK .. this SHOULDNT have happened, I am so pissed at myself right now I can
not even tell you. I found that my wifes Camaros oil level sensor was leaking
just like my Impala SS was. I figured no problem, swap it out. So I unscrew
it and the freakin drivers side CAT is in the way. I thought I was sneaking it
by and POP! The sensor flys out and I see the float stuck in the threaded
hole. This is where I screwed up. Instead of THINKING about the best way
to get it out, I just grabbed a small screwdriver. In trying to get it out, the
damn thing fell right in the hole. I SHOULD have used a piece of coat hanger
bent with a hook at the end ..... dammit.

I tried filling the crankcase with oil, in hopes that the float would do just that
float back up to the hole so I could retrieve it - nope. I felt around and its
not near the hole. I was running out of light - so I gave up for today. Wife
needs the car this week, other then dropping the pan - anyone got any neat
ideas on how to get the damn thing???

Tom

 

You might try a commercial shop vac to suck it out or at least close to the drain hole and snag it with a needle nose pliers or piece of wire. Make sure the shop vac is explosion proof from static electricity and fumes.
My float also broke when removing and I luckily retrieved all the pieces.

 

the float as in the plasitc piece? should be fine to leave in there...the oil pump screen will not allow it to be sucked up...and it should be floating above that anyways...
if you much id drain all the oil and try to bend a hanger in a hook and drag it to the drain plug and try to get it out...but id just leave it and ut in a new one

 

That happened to me also a few years ago. I just left it in there. You won't be able to get a new sensor in the pan either with the cat in the way. I just got a drain plug for the hole and looped the wires to keep the light out.

 

I have read about someone getting the float near the oil drain plug and
than crushing it with a screwdriver. Than fishing out all the parts. This
would work (and what I was planning on doing today) but I drained all
the oil back out, and I cant find the damn thing!!! Its not going to
the drain plug hole. I tried fishing around with a coat hanger, but
I dont 'feel' it anywhere. I have been reading up on doing the pan,
its not "easy". The drivers side CAT needs to be removed, and that is
going to result in broken bolts .. I KNOW IT! The Chiltons manual
says you have to raise the engine, but I read on a guys webshots that
it can be done without raising - that makes me feel a LITTLE better.

I would rather not touch the pan .. obviously. My main problem is to
FIND the thing. I need one of those fiber optic cameras to see what
the inside of the pan LOOKS like, so I can guess on where the stupid
part ended up. Anyone have pictures of the inside of an LT1 pan?

Thanks for all your replies. I have the car up on 4 jack stands now.

Tom

 

its still sitting on top of the windage tray


it normally is above it, so it is probably laying on top of it

 

Maybe you can just unbolt the pan, lower it a bit and fish it out that way. I wouldn't feel comfortable just leaving it in there.

 

OK .. so maybe if I fish around with the wire ontop of the tray, I might be able
to knock it off onto the pan. What about bonking the pan with a rubber mallet?
I wonder if it will jump off from the shock? This sucks.

Tom

 

No luck .. I cant "feel" it anywhere. I am looking into buying a fiber optic
scope with a light to look into the pan.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91565

Tom