Hardened pcv grommet fallen into 455 valley pan

Hi folks, I need a bit of advice please. The hardened pcv on my 455 has fallen into the valley pan while removing it. I usually wouldn't hesitate to get the inlet manifold off and retrieve it, however, age bad back and general tiredness after the working week etc etc has got me thinking.

Will it cause any harm to just put the new pcv rubber in and use the car. The internet consensus seems thats ok to do but I would really like the viewpoint of those that have been in the same predicament.

It seems the valley pan on a 73 455 is the non mesh type

 

As long as it can`t get inside the engine, I wouldn`t sweat it.
High pressure air gun may blow it back out.

 

I wouldn’t think that it was cause any issues. I once had the spray nozzle tube shoot into a cylinder I was lubing, car ran fine, and I never saw it again…

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate your replies.

 

id remove the part no matter what.

 

Find someone with one of those inexpensive endoscopes or a borescope and fish it out. Not knowing what it might do would be a worry. If you seldom drive the car, then it's not a big deal. I have one that I paid less than $70 for. It works well for a blind old guy who can't get into some places.

 

They make ones that plug into the port on a smart phone. Under $40/50.

 

I’m in the I’d remove it camp. Is it a Pontiac, Buick or Oldsmobile? It could be game over if it gets in the timing chain.

 

Thanks for the further replies, I don't use the car much during the next few months and have plans to do some top end engine work over winter. I'll deal with it then. After further research there is very little chance of it escaping the valley pan. These are some pics of another 73 Pontiac valley pan that the owner dis***embled to clean. He found 2 pcv grommets sitting in there.

 

Pontiac has the best oil control! They’ve got windage trays and their not afraid to use them!