I was working on replacing the valve retainers today and I thought to myself, "I should plug up all the holes that go down into the engine". Stupidly, I didn't.

I lost one of the tapered "cotters" that hold the valve into the retainer. It was on the front-most inlet valve for #1, and I'm afraid it may have dropped down into the timing chain area. Where would that end up?

I drained the oil (was going to anyway), but it didn't come out. It could be somewhere else in the engine compartment, but I haven't found it yet. Of course it is very small and dull black, so that's no help.

I guess I have to assume the worst. If that little part dropped into the cam chain area, would it end up down by the oil pump? Does that mean pulling off the oil pan and oil pump and such to look for it?

 

Unfortunately, yup

 

Is it ferrous? If it is, you might go fishing with a magnet well secured on a strong string. Happy Fishing

 

If you drop the oil pan and don't find it, it might be stuck in the timing chain area where it could cause some damage if it stuck between one of the chains and gears. I would pour a can of motor oil or kerosene down the timing chain area and try to wash it down. You could also try blowing it down with compressed air. The magnet trick might work too, but you will have problems with the magnet sticking to the chains or gears.

 

take off the oil pan and see if you can find it in there. otherwise blow the head with compressed air. if that fails, turn the crank pulley with a wrench, and if binds, STOP.

 

use something like this will definitely help w/ taking off valve keeper.


search around using this.

 

Great news! I got it back!

I ordered some more of the "valve cotters" and finished installing the valve springs I had been working on.

Then I flushed the timing chain area with kerosene and clean motor oil.

I fished around with a magnet on a stick, but didn't find anything. I couldn't go to far down on the exhaust side, though, because the TCT was in the way.

Then I turned the crank a little bit and it jammed. So I turned it backwards and it went a lot farther, then it jammed. So I turned it back and it went to the same place it had before, then it jammed.

So I did anither visual inspection, and now I could see it! It was stuck in the timing chain, near the TCT. But this time, since I had turned the crank a little, I could get the magnet close to it. "Clunk!"

Thanks for the advice, guys.

 

Great news. Saved yourself a lot of work. Next time, keep Murphy away from your engine.

 

glad you got it out!