Terrible day Options

[Special_Edy]

So it all started with a flat tire yesterday, which was no big deal since I was in a GREAT mood because I figured out my dead cylinder was being caused by a valve shim(holding a valve open) and not a burnt valve, So I replaced the tire began the process of measuring the valve shims.
Upon removing the valve cover I found a mirror-on-an-extendable-stick tool sitting inside my engine, which means Im a retard and left it there last time I had the engine open. The mirror was missing(probably in a million peices inside my bearings) so I changed the oil and filter immediately(thank god the oil looked perfect, maybe it is all in the filter)
Lol so then last night I dropped a feeler gauge into the engine, and it slid right down into the oil pan and is unretreivable with a magnet so I guess I will be pulling the oil pan.
Oh and toyota said it will take one to one and a half weeks for the shims to come in and they do not carry the valve tool so guess I will be removing/installing cams twice, once to measure the shims to order new ones and again to install new shims.
Oh and why is the FPIG $40 bucks? that seems outrageous

[Tigawoods]

there was a place in philly i went to where i was able to trade the shims i had with the ones i needed. Im not sure if you could deal with them over the phone and send your stock ones in and they send you the sizes you need. or if there is a similar shop around you that does engine rebuilding on toyota's (like this shop did) and has a whole box of shims. Its worth looking into. Toyota told me the exact same thing when I looked to order shims from them. 2weeks to get from NY to PA. a 3hr drive lol