Valve adjustment hole in one...let's go fishing

[Guest]

Hi all - wasn't sure if this should go in Engine or General maintenance - please move if this isn't the proper place. My bike is an "81 GS750X

So in my push to prep the bike for the spring, I finally took at stab at adjusting the valves. Everything was going great until i got to #3 intake. I had the single feeler blade separated out from the rest and was checking away. Sproing goes the feeler gauge out of my hand and i'm 99% sure it went down the channel for the cam chain. Need to do a sweep of the garage floor again but pretty sure it's in there. I was EXTREMELY disappointed and went to Amazon to order some magnet + stick products, flexible magnet stick and one of those iphone endoscope things because, let's be honest, this isn't the first time I've run into a pickle and needed to see into some weird place.

Ok, so for next time: 1. tie a string or something to the feeler! 2. Rag to cover the cam channel!

I know this is potentially an engine killer and it shouldn't be run or rotated. Step one will be doing some fishing when my magnet assortment arrives. I hesitate to ask, what would the best next steps be if I can't fish it out? I currently have the right side cover off as I was swapping the clutch springs. I googled and it looks like others have make similar mistakes (though i didn't see any on GSResources) - some have said that it might be exposed if the clutch basket is pulled or it could fall down to the oil pan - would the same ring true for my GS750? Pulling and tearing apart the engine is a bit above my pay grade...

I welcome any and all creative solutions or condolences, ha. sigh

[LAB3]

Don't even think of entertaining the idea that the magnet/stickies and endoscope won't work! If you do, you might be willing to give up before you give it that last try, the one that works.

[180gramvinyl]

Appreciate the positive sentiments! Worked through a few stripped/broken bolts in the past week that I thought were hopeless but patience paid off. Hoping for the same here!

[dorkburger]

Fishing for stuff can be incredibly frustrating, but well worth the time. Even if it takes a couple of hours it will save from having to dig further if successful.

I once fished an aftermarket coil lead connector nut from the cylinder with stiff wire with tape on the end sticky side out.
took over a hour, but saved me from having to remove the head.

[Steve]

My last fishing expedition was for some of these parts:





Fortunately, most of them were in the pools of oil up top, and I was confident enough that the one little piece that was missing was not going to cause any problems.

.

[fbody_mike]

I was checking the valves on my GS550 two weekend ago. Everything was in spec, so I rtv'd the gasket on the valve cover and was trying to get it over the cam chain when I heard tink tonk tonk. Look around and see the dowel fell out and was no where to be found. Got the magnet on a stick out and was fishing through the oil and heard it snap. Got lucky because it was really close to the cam chain tunnel too. Could have been a one hour job that turns into an all day event.