Oops, I’ve done something stupid - rocker nuts in engine

[iani]

I reset my valve clearances at the weekend, took my car out this evening and by the time I got to our club meeting it sounded like a bag of spanners. On taking rocker cover off, we discovered that two rocker nuts were missing. I am sure they were there on Saturday, as is the guy who did job with me. There are no witness marks on the pushrods, I am assuming they must have gone down the oilway. Presumably this means they are in the sump, the car runs fine now, my question is, can I drive it like this or do I need to drop the sump?

[Bfg]

I'm not at all familiar with the six cylinder engines, but I'd be very concerned that the missing nuts were sitting on top of the followers.  If it were my four - then I'd lift off the rocker shaft, carefully remove the pushrods (making sure the followers are not pulled up by the suction of the pushrod cups) and then I'd go fishing ..using a stick magnet firmly bound onto the end of a piece of non ferrous tube.  I have such a magnet, within a plastic tube, for such awkward situations.

If the adjuster nuts are not to be found, and indeed have dropped cleanly into the sump, then they're now very unlikely to cause any damage because the gauze over the engine oil's pick-up pipe will prevent them from being carried into the pump.  Most probably they'll wash off the baffle plate and just settle in the bottom sludge.

However, me being me, I'd most likely weight up the risk either side of that word 'unlikely'  ie., potential for expensive engine -v- dropping the sump for a clean out.  Certainly I'd go fishing first, but if that was not successful then very likely (personally) I'd drop the sump to find them.

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?"

Pete 

[iani]

4 minutes ago, Bfg said:

I'm not at all familiar with the six cylinder engines, but I'd be very concerned that the missing nuts were sitting on top of the followers.  If it were my four - then I'd lift off the rocker shaft, carefully remove the pushrods (making sure the followers are not pulled up by the suction of the pushrod cups) and then I'd go fishing ..using a stick magnet firmly bound onto the end of a piece of non ferrous tube.  I have such a magnet, within a plastic tube, for such awkward situations.

If the adjuster nuts are not to be found, and indeed have dropped cleanly into the sump, then they're now very unlikely to cause any damage because the gauze over the engine oil's pick-up pipe will prevent them from being carried into the pump.  Most probably they'll wash off the baffle plate and just settle in the bottom sludge.

However, me being me, I'd most likely weight up the risk either side of that word 'unlikely'  ie., potential for expensive engine -v- dropping the sump for a clean out.  Certainly I'd go fishing first, but if that was not successful then very likely (personally) I'd drop the sump to find them.

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?"

Pete 

Thanks Pete, on the 6 cyl engines, the tappets can’t be pulled up through the head. The nuts aren’t in the tappets so the only other place they can have gone is into one of the three oil passages. I will drain the oil tomorrow and try to get a magnet into the sump, I will raise the front of the car too, to encourage any nuts to move to the rear, fingers crossed.

[Bfg]

Certainly hope it goes well.   But before you start.. treble check inside the rocker cover, and in with your tools, and on the bench, and in your pockets, and ...

[RogerH]

Hi Ian,

 I am not familiar with the  6 pot engine - but if the nuts in the sump are the most likely thought then why not fit a magnetic sump plug.

If they wash down to the plug they will stay there until the next oil change.

If you take the rocker cover off check inside the valve springs.

Roger

[Graham]

I would be inclined in the first instance to check they are not sitting in the cam followers, pull the pushrods out then check with a torch and see if they are sitting there you may get lucky, if not theI would drop the sump as that’s the next easiest option, but if you don’t find them then more radical dissemble may be required 

[roger murray-evans]

I would just put a couple of those ultra magnets on the outside of the sump.

They won't fall off but will trap anything on the the inside until the next

oil change, then you can walk/slide the magnets towards the plug 'ole and see

if anything appears. I've had a head bolt on the bottom of my Landcruiser sump for

100,000 miles trapped in place with a couple of the little beasts.Looks like forever!

Roger M-E

[Andy Moltu]

I would, before removing the pushrods, look down as the nuts may well be sitting in site and can be fished out with a magnetic probe.

I had a similar thing with  the screw that fixes the rocker shaft in place working itself loose - found it between 2 of the pushrods.

[iani]

1 hour ago, RogerH said:

Hi Ian,

 I am not familiar with the  6 pot engine - but if the nuts in the sump are the most likely thought then why not fit a magnetic sump plug.

If they wash down to the plug they will stay there until the next oil change.

If you take the rocker cover off check inside the valve springs.

Roger

I have checked the tappets Roger, no sign. I have a magnetic plug to go in, I will lose oil temp gauge though. They aren’t in the valve springs either.

[iani]

2 minutes ago, Andy Moltu said:

I would, before removing the pushrods, look down as the nuts may well be sitting in site and can be fished out with a magnetic probe.

I had a similar thing with  the screw that fixes the rocker shaft in place working itself loose - found it between 2 of the pushrods.

This was first thing I did, no sign

[iani]

27 minutes ago, roger murray-evans said:

I would just put a couple of those ultra magnets on the outside of the sump.

They won't fall off but will trap anything on the the inside until the next

oil change, then you can walk/slide the magnets towards the plug 'ole and see

if anything appears. I've had a head bolt on the bottom of my Landcruiser sump for

100,000 miles trapped in place with a couple of the little beasts.Looks like forever!

Roger M-E

Good idea, I think I might even have some