XJRider.com

So I was replacing the valve cover on my 98 Suzuki Bandit 600 today and all was going fine. There are two small metal "placement dowels" that go with the valve cover and when I got the cover off, one was there, the other wasn't. I thought maybe there wasn't one on that side for some reason, as it was missing on the leaky side. But a quick look into the open engine showed it just fell in. So I tried to get it with a magnetic screwdriver and sadly, you can probably guess the rest. I heard a "clink, clink clink" and it was nowhere to be seen. It fell into the external oil pipes that go grom the head into the crankcase. I've tried everything from trying to fish it out with a magnet, in various accessible parts of the engine to no avail. I even tried my shop vac, but no luck there.

Besides pulling the oil pan, which is where I'm positive its resting, any other ideas about a less painful removal?

Thanks! I'd go onto the Bandit site and ask them but there's no Bandit site.....And hopefully no one minds pondering a Suzuki issue.....