I have a telescoping magnet and I tried to reach it, to no avail. It looks like it's at the very bottom. It is telescopic but it doesn't flex. I can try the flexing one as the last resort but I have doubts.
I am in over my head on this Subaru Legacy timing belt/crankshaft seal project, I am so p1ssed off right now, at myself for the most part, that I am just considering putting the thing on Ebay or Craiglist (and losing tons of tokens on it).
Or maybe I will just grind my teeth for a while, take a deep breath and remove the engine. I did remove the engine on a Subaru Loyale a few years ago. But it took me about 2 weeks to do that, working a few hours every day. Putting it back together is the big question.
Oh, you poor ba$tard.
I have little to add- magnets, mechanical fingers, access covers, or disassembly are your only options. I know next to nothing about Subarus, but I'd be looking for either a dust/access cover that can be removed or maybe see if removing the starter will gain you any access.
Also, I've retrieved dropped parts in particularly sticky situations using a telescoping magnet. Craftsman makes one with a lifetime warranty- the advantage being that you can bend the thing however you need to... then when you're done with that particular job, take it back and get a new one.
As tempting as it might be, I'd strongly advise you NOT to start the engine (I speak from experience here)- and I'd further suggest that you avoid barring it over, as you don't know exactly what is causing the interference. Might damage the rear crank seal carrier, transmission pump, or other assorted soft aluminum thingys in there.
