I know, I should have plugged the holes but I wanted to get one small piece of old RTV off… the razor slipped down into the hole that is circled. I’ve tried a pick up magnet and I even purchased an endoscope and couldn’t see it.

when it fell down into the hole, it sounds like it went far.

Is this hole part of the oil or coolant bypass? What should I do next or is there a good chance it slipped down somewhere safe-ish?

 

Since there's a direct opening to the cam, I'm pretty sure that's an oil passage. The oil passages are pretty hard to suss from the manual https://web.archive.org/web/20100326...13descript.pdf , but I'm going to guess that passage heads straight to the pan. You might be able to tell from how far your endoscope or magnet goes before hitting bottom.

So you can remove the pan? Well, yes, but it's not easy. You're supposed to remove the front differential to get the pan down. If your blade is big enough it shouldn't fit through the oil pickup screen, so you could take a chance.

 

So if you took a long solid thin something could you maybe just send it down that hole and bring it up with oil on it? Kinda like checking your oil I guess, would the dipstick make it? You may also be able to get a buddy to probe it and see if you can hear it at the pan itself, idk just throwing some ideas out that does suck though, definitely something that would happen to me!!! Good luck

 

I’d drain the oil, then use the scope to go through the drain plug hole and see if it’s in there. If it is, leave it. It will be fine.

 

Like others have said if you can find it in the bottom of oil pan...leave it, it won't get sucked into the sump. If you can't find it....time to start taking things apart.

 

What kind of "razor"? Gillette Blue Blade? Wilkinson Sword? Show us a picture of the blade and any associated apparatus. If it was me, I'd cross my fingers and listen for any new sounds from below and watch carefully the gauge or red light, as the case may be. Just one man's $0.02.

 

If it has dropped into the oil pan, you could also grab a pack or two of these and distribute them across the bottom of the oil pan.

 

Most razors are stainless steel, not magnetic. if it was a single sided blade the backing piece may be magnetic. if you have a similar razor blade try picking it up with a magnet before you go fishing around for something that won't bite your hook!

 

While I cannot speak to what brand or material the razor blade OP was utilizing for his repair.

Here is a photo illustration of two types of razor blade that have magnetic properties for reference.