Dropped Valve Cover Bolt

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Wunbadmofo

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I mentioned this in my end of my last thread, but think it's worthy of it's own.

I removed My valve cover to replkace the gasket. After taking it off, the passenger side one. I turned it over to look at the gasket and the back top bolt in the valve cover fell out and down into the engine compartment somewhere.

I'm panicking because I think it may have fell down in the hole where the timing chain goes. Arrrggg. I stuck a magnet down there and looked with a light but saw and got nothing. I spent about 3 hours searching and never recovered it.

Im scared. What if it fell down where the crankshaft is? What should I do?

HELP!


BTW Good looks on the gaskets Andrizzle. Got em Monday.
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spent 2-3 hours fishing with a magnet never found anything. Stuck it down into the hole where the timing chain goes about 100 times moved it around and came back with nuthin.

It's like a million to one it went in there. But dont know if that is a chance im ready to take.
 
Well i read to drop the pan u dont have to do anything but loosen the bolts. Nuthin is in the way? Do u have to replace the gasket when u take the pan off and replace it?
 
pektel said:
Might as well.

Remember Murphy's law.
Click to expand...

+1. Better to be safe than sorry. I've lost valve cover bolts before, ended up having to go to the dealer to get a couple of new ones. However, when I dropped mine it was in the act of actually pulling the valve cover off. I wasn't able to get some of the back bolts off without pulling the valve cover due to the way they were embedded into the gasket.
 
Well. I've decided to reassemble without finding the bolt. Using a flashlight I can see all the way to where the timing chain connects with the crankshaft. Since I dont see the bolt caught in there I'm assuming its either not in the engine or its in the oil pan. I'm trying not to even think about if it may have went in to a spark plug hole. So after I put it back together I will drop the oil pan just to check for it.

My question is since I didn't take pictures I cant remember where the long double ended Valve Cover bolts go. do they all go on top where the wire harness is? Or do some go on the bottom? This is the passenger side I'm doing now.
 
It's worth it to me. The Gen 1 v8 has no steps to remove the oil pan other than the bolts in it. No cross members in the way or anything. In the service manual it doesn't even say to replace the gasket. So I'm assuming it may have a permanent rubber seal. Looks easy. Maybe 20 minutes.
 
Well i put the passenger side back on and started removing the drivers side. All was going well till i dropped a 1/4 inch ratchet getting the back bottom bolt loose. Totally disappeared on me. Now there is a bolt and a ratchet min there that I cant find. Im gonna get a floor jack and some stands today so i can raise it up and get under there and look. Any body have any idea where the ratchet would land if i dropped it right next to the master cylinder?

And I am usually not this clumsy. But this is my first time working on a car with such little space under the hood. LOL have done a head gasket in my jeep so please dont tell me I'm in over my head.


WTF where is that ratchet?
 
well the only thing holding me back now is figuring how to undo the fuel line that runs over the valve cover. I have all bolts and everything else loose but cant seem to figure out the fuel line. I removed the clip but i dont have the special plastic tool to release it. Anybody know another way?
 
Work a small flat-headed screwdriver around the inside of the connector and work the spring that's in there outwards. I've done this in a pinch before.
 
Dude can u elaborate just a little? How do i work the spring outwrds? I seemed to be able to push it in but it seems to fit in a way that would make prying ti out impossible without damaging it. Could I fashion a plastic tool out of a plastic bottle cap or something similar?
 
Wunbadmofo said:
Dude can u elaborate just a little? How do i work the spring outwrds? I seemed to be able to push it in but it seems to fit in a way that would make prying ti out impossible without damaging it. Could I fashion a plastic tool out of a plastic bottle cap or something similar?
Click to expand...

I used an old pinch clamp. You need something to surround the line and push in, toward the spring. Honestly, it would be quicker to make a run to the auto parts store and buy a set (you'll need one for the fuel filter on a Gen2 LS anyway) than the time it will take to jury-rig one.
 
Wunbadmofo said:
Dude can u elaborate just a little? How do i work the spring outwrds? I seemed to be able to push it in but it seems to fit in a way that would make prying ti out impossible without damaging it. Could I fashion a plastic tool out of a plastic bottle cap or something similar?
Click to expand...

I have made one out of a piece of cardboard before and it worked just fine. Now I have the correct tool and it is under $10.
 
Well IU got it all back together and took her for a drive. The first thing I noticed was the hesitation and stumble was still there at 50mph. The second thing was the smoke. i thought it was just extra on the manifold. Nope i pulled in to a space and saw a steady stream of leaked oil. So i have no idea what happened. Only that it is leaking like a siv from the back right corner next to the master cylinder. I cant see where its coming from. but thats the area. Now Im taking it back apart and trying again.

These cars are sh!t. You should not have to do VCG at 77K anyway.
 
my guess is your VGC slipped out of the back of the valve cover when u put it back on. this happens fairly easy. i've done this job on my own LS and 4 other LS's and it slips out of the groove almost every time when you are putting it back in place. i always double check it before i start the bolts
 
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