The more I delve, the more I find out. So, in the hopes of gaining some access to the LIM bolts, I remove the airpump. I read the shop manual procedure, and go out. Now, I'm wondering why the heck can I not find the adjustment bracket. Then it hits me:

THERE IS NO adjustment bracket! So all this time, the support bolt/hinge has been keeping tension (or not) against the air pump belt.

NEVER buy a FC for $1000 off eBay.

So in all seriousness, before I loose my mind, anyone have nay tips for getting at the bottom two and rear two bolts on the LIM?

Handskills? Did you try the vacum cleaner idea of mine? I got a part of a zip tie out of mine by that.

Don't have the right materials for a hose on hand. Plus, I've already invested so much effort into removing the LIM that I'm following through with it if it kills me. As an enthusiast, I must not be defeated by this, I must persevere!

+1... I suggested a shop vac many posts ago as well. I can vouch for the fact it works - saved my a$$ in a similar situation - dropped one of the fuel rail bolts in the LIM once and the shop vac sucked it right up.

I got it out! I had to remove both 5/6 port actuators and then the LIM but I got it out!

Very lucky I was. The runner had 'chuted' the washer so it traveled at the port horizontally. The port necked down enough that the washer wedged horizontally in the port, so it never actually entered the block.

Whew!

So now I just have to reassemble the lower intake tract, finish replacing the oil injection lines, pressure test the fuel system, and reassemble the whole shebang.

Peace, and thanks for the support!

Do it to it Lars! congrats on NOT doing something that we've all had that little adrenaline shot thinking about if it happened to us...