As the title says, I was taking the studs out of the No. 2 idler pulley and I think I MAY have dropped a 4mm socket in it. I set the socket on the stud (I didn't stuff a rag in the outlet...DOH!!) and went to get my 1/4" socket wrench about 2 feet away.... I head the socket drop and hit metal twice. I cannot tell if it went in the coolant passage or fell on the ground. I could not find it anywhere on the ground or in the engine bay.

If a socket were to go in this coolant passage, where would it end up? I have magnets etc and went as far into the idler as I could go before the 90 degree "drop" straight down and no socket was heard or found. I will be taking this idler off tomorrow when I finish my timing belt and water pump, but I just want to make sure that nothing catastrophic is going to happen if I don't find it in there or if it is possible and where to attempt to "fish" the socket out if it is indeed in there somewhere.

Here is a pic of where I mean: (thanks to RMA for the picture)


Thanks you!

 

That water passage goes into the intake manifold underneath the 4 bolts that hold the idler on. When you take the idler off, you should be able to get the socket out. If you really think it's in there and you can't get it out, I would remove the intake manifold and turn it up on end to get the socket out. It may be just me, but I would never leave a socket in a coolant passage. Good luck.