Bolt and washer retrieval

[efjay]

so....I made a mistake of putting a bolt and a washer on top of the rear rack as I was finishing up with the installation of the rear rack.  I bump the bike with my body and down they go, into the small abyss of FJ's innards.  I ordered the replacement bolt and washer and I was thinking of just leaving the lost pieces in the bike.  It should be ok....right? 

[FigJam-OhNine]

Meh, they'll fall out eventually. Maybe. Or they'll make your bike explode. So basically it's 50/50. Pretty good odds!!!
 
There isn't much that's more frustrating than that though

[efjay]

That's good to hear!!! LOL!  8D

[jimf]

so....I made a mistake of putting a bolt and a washer on top of the rear rack as I was finishing up with the installation of the rear rack.  I bump the bike with my body and down they go, into the small abyss of FJ's innards.  I ordered the replacement bolt and washer and I was thinking of just leaving the lost pieces in the bike.  It should be ok....right? 

Sounds familiar! 
I rode my bike home from the dealer and went to install the adjustable clutch and brake levers that I'd had sitting there for two weeks waiting for the bike to get the recall service done.  While attempting to get the bolt back in there around the hand guard hardware it jumped (all of its own accord, they do that) and rattle-rattle-rattle fell into the plastics.
 
I must have spent three hours taking the plastics off looking for it and never found it.  It's hard to overstate how stupid I felt.  Luckily I had a 5mm bolt that worked well enough as an ersatz replacement while I waited for a replacement.
 
So where did the bolt go?  I figure that either it fell out during the bashing around the bike got on a dirt road a few days later or it's still wedged in there and I'll find it five years hence.  Either way....