I am changing my oil and I didn't think I would need a filter wrench, but it turns out I did. So me being a genius instead of going to get one I decide to punch a big screwdriver into the filter and remove it that way. I got the filter off, but I saw a peice of metal inside the center hole in the filter mount and not knowing if it was supposed to be there I try to feel what it is and that ends up pushing it up the tube. My question is how bad have I screwed up and is there any way to get the piece of metal out.

 

try a telescopic magnet... might work

 

I just gave it a shot and no luck.

 

You might try something thin, with a hook on the end, like a seal pick.

 

remove the oil pressure sending switch, then pump some engine oil using an oilcan, that way you can flush it back out.
good luck.
Raj

 

If you can get a small tube ABOVE the piece of metal you could pump some oil in the hole and hope that gravity would let the metal piece flow with the oil back out of the hole?? This is assuming that the hole is angled up into the engine...I dunno as I've never looked up in there, just replace my filter and go on.

For the next time....a piece of sandpaper around the old filter works wonders for your grip. Comes off for me every time like that.

 

That is a great idea.

 

I didn't worry about getting the piece out. I figured it would make one trip around the engine and then back to the pan where the pump pickup screen would keep it in the pan and if not the screen then the filter would get it. Hopefully it will come out at the next drain. Quick question for my peace of mind, is the oil pump before or after the filter. Thanks for the help guys.

 

The more I think about just not worrying about the piece of metal and banking on it getting contained in the pan the more I'm wondering if it would even make it back to the pan or if it would end up getting lodged somewhere and block the oil flow to something. How small do some of the oil passages get? The piece maybe filled up 1/3 to 1/2 of the hole in the filter mount. What are the chances it would get caught somewhere and not get back to the pan? This is making me mental, so hopefully someone can tell me I didn't screw up big time.

 

isn't that big tube the one that feeds oil into the filter? so wouldn't it just get caught in there?

 

I am having a huge issue with understanding just what it is you got pushed up in the filter mount. A pic of the mount, the piece or at least the end of the filter you took off to see if it came from the filter or what. I just cant visualize what it is you're trying to remove. Good luck, and anything that you push up through that hole is going to be a problem, if its not oil!

 

thats kind of scary, i don't even like to think about where it could go or what it could do. do u play the lottery?

 

The piece was roughly as big as the green dot in the picture.