That's the axle just above the piece, isn't it? Could you just pop out the axle and retrieve it?

 

I appreciate the support! The camera itself became unusable after the first 10 minutes with bad connectivity so I spent 3 hours trying different phones and such without much success. I have another borescope coming tomorrow. I was able to tape a flexible claw tool to it which is going to be my main modus. Once I bring it to the hole, I have some really cool medical pliers I have high hopes for.

I could drop the driveshaft and transfer case and then take off the cover I believe. If it comes to this, there isn’t much room to properly redo the liquid gasket but that seems like a smaller deal to me than the alternative. That may be my 2nd option actually. I’d need to understand this process better- like if that case will just pull off from around the shaft.

 

+1 for the tape wrapped around something. It worked for me when I dropped a plastic low pressure fuel rail spacer down the valley plate of my 2gr-fse (gs450h, port & direct injected... the valley is a mess). I was changing fuel injector o-rings

 

Since you have a general idea of where the plastic nipple is sitting inside and you also have some more of the plastic nipple material, why don't you build a mock-up and practice retrieving it with a bent wire with a "J" hook on one end. This could be fashioned out of a hanger wire. You have to thread the wire thru the nipple and push it just past the other end, then pick it up so the nipple is snagged by the hook and hopefully stays there until you pull it out of the fill hole. Practice doing it then go for it. Good luck! I wish I can give it a try. LOL.

 

Suck it out by attaching tubing or hose to your Shop Vac with Duct Tape.

 

If there was ever a time for the forum to come together and pitch in to buy a member something, I feel like we really need to buy this member a motive. I feel so bad each time I open this thread...
I'm in for $20 but dont have time to organize the buy

 

Popping the axle out if viable would probably be the easiest if trying to use something to grab the debris doesn't work out.

Some great suggestions so far and I think at this point, you should be able to resolve this problem without having to tear into the transmission too much. That alone has to be a huge relief.

 

Get one of those boba milk tea straw and tape it to a shop vac and suck it out.

 

I'll match your $20 if someone were to set it up or if @HanksLexus wants to send us his zelle info.

 

Good idea, I’ll match it.

 

this cracked me up- I should be sending y’all money for the emotional support! 😂

There have been some great ideas in here I’m itching to try when the new borescope comes in. In the mean time, I just fantasize about getting it out.

These claw tools are great but you really don’t great control since they’re springy and you loose control of the end. You become one dimensional. I think I can tie some fishing line to the tip which will allow me to pull back on the end.

I have rigged up a ridiculous series of reduced hoses on my shop vac- it’s almost funny. It may also end up using that, especially if it becomes out of reach. If y’all needed some more excitement, my wife and I are going on vacation Thursday morning so I have a clock!

 

I've made a shopvac reducer out of looseleaf paper to retrieve a dropped bulb out of a headlight housing before, anything is possible! Another alternative to tape is a gob of heavy grease on the end of something, smoosh it into the plastic piece and pull it back out, and if any is left behind, not a big deal.

 

Throwing in one other option here as I am not sure about the sticky and vacuum solutions mentioned (slippery transmission fluid being the problem) once you start pulling it up the tube and could easily loose it.
If you can get a small fish hook to grab it, the hook will dig deeper into the plastic while pulling it through the tube. Problem is I don't think you can pull this up the tube sideways (?) so the hook would need to be inserted in the hole unless the plastic is soft enough to bend on the way up.

 

Following, and rooting for a good outcome...

 

If I understand these pics correctly, the first pic shows a hole to the right of the nipple, which is where the fluid drains down towards the pan. If this is correct, and the nipple falls through this hole, where does it go next?

• If the hole leads to the drain pan, then I'd try to push the nipple down through that hole.
• If the hole leads to a less accessible space, then I'd be real careful poking around in there with your grabbers;-0

If the second pic was taken down that drain hole, it does not look like it leads directly to the drain pan

• Was the second pic taken with the throttle body on or off?
  • If the throttle body was on, then I'd remove it again to see if you can see that drain hole.
  • If you shine a light through the drain hole, can you see the light from underneath with the throttle body removed?

Good Luck!