I was having issues with the high pressure oil rail letting go when pulling the head. Shimmy shimmy.... Oh god... Little ***** found a hole and are now are in the oil pan which I suspect will find the magnet in the oil.

What is the technical name of these little guys and do I risk anything by replacing them and finding the old ones later?

 

Are you talking about the pivot ball on the rocer arms?? yes get it out of the oil pan before you go too far, there is a bypass hole in the oil pump pickup screen for when the oil is cold and thick and that ball could be sucked up and destroy the oil pump and even the front cover..

 

That's it. right on the pivot point.

Any advice on how to go about an do this? Magnet and drain oil with a small prayer.

Pull oil pan? Can I do that in frame?

Will it get caught into something down those holes?

 

That is why I pull the motor to do head gaskets, so I can make sure the pan is cleanbefore I put everything back together. The good thing is this is a ball and should have rolled past the upper pan which is basically a windage tray on these trucks. I would go to the hardware store and get a 20lb pull shallow pot magnet and start at front of pan and drag it towards the drain hole and see if it comes out.