Oh no.....dropped/missing a bolt!

[RobP]

I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gaskets on my '69 383. I'm ditching the current bolts for ARP studs. I have the valve cover off and I was using one of the original bolts to make sure the threads on the head were clear as I was having a hard time getting the APR studs in. I thought I'd put it back with the others and now I can't find it for the life of me.

I've scoped the heads and everyplace I can't see under the car with a endoscope camera to no avail. There doesn't seem to be too many places it could be hiding IF it fell into the head.

My question is if it did fall in, can it drop any lower than the bottom of the head?

 

[493 Mike]

I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gaskets on my '69 383. I'm ditching the current bolts for ARP studs. I have the valve cover off and I was using one of the original bolts to make sure the threads on the head were clear as I was having a hard time getting the APR studs in. I thought I'd put it back with the others and now I can't find it for the life of me.

I've scoped the heads and everyplace I can't see under the car with a endoscope camera to no avail. There doesn't seem to be too many places it could be hiding IF it fell into the head.

My question is if it did fall in, can it drop any lower than the bottom of the head?

It could go to the pan if you're basically unlucky. Check lifter areas?
Mike

 

[beanhead]

Are they stock heads? If so it could possibly fall into the lifter valley............
IF you have headers, check down in between the tubes with a flashlight and/or mirror where they are merged together in the collector part. My TTIs seem to always swallow a bolt or small socket and I have to fish it out from between the tubes with a small grab-it tool.

 

[RobP]

I'm able to get the scope down pretty far and I think I'm looking at the lifters, but nothing there.
They are the stock heads. The bolt that holds the valve covers aren't too small and I'm surprised if it's down there that I wouldn't be able to see it.

Bottom line, it could have travelled anywhere if it dropped into the head? I've never had one apart so I didn't know if there are openings large enough for that bolt to move deeper into the engine.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

If it fell through the pushrod opening it should be in the Valley, to get further it would need to bounce up & sideways to get to the openings above the cam.... It can't fall straight through the pushrod opening & go straight to the pan, gravity would cause it to hug the valley wall, things try to fall straight down not 3" to the side then down...
If you can't look down the pushrod holes & see it chances are it's somewhere else in the engine compartment....

 

[Grabbergreendream]

This happens to me often enough that the first place I check is my pockets...

 

[Mick56]

Take an air hose and blow all around under the hood, then check under the car.

 

[beanhead]

This happens to me often enough that the first place I check is my pockets...

Lol. Or all the way across the garage...they have the ability to travel when I drop them!

 

[khryslerkid]

 

[Don Frelier]

Here's a tip, in the future fold up a towel and cover up the valve gear and pushrod openings on the head.
Anytime you have a valve cover off.
A simple easy prevention method.

 

[WP29440SE]

it won't hurt anything even if it fell down inside. it will make its way into the pan and wait for someone to discover it the next time the pan comes off. you would believe the crap I have found in pans. it's not like it fell into a combustion chamber or port.

 

[beanhead]

it won't hurt anything even if it fell down inside. it will make its way into the pan and wait for someone to discover it the next time the pan comes off. you would believe the crap I have found in pans. it's not like it fell into a combustion chamber or port.

Ooooh until it gets caught between the block and a cam lobe, or stops a lifter from rotating...

 

[beanhead]

it won't hurt anything even if it fell down inside. it will make its way into the pan and wait for someone to discover it the next time the pan comes off. you would believe the crap I have found in pans. it's not like it fell into a combustion chamber or port.

Somewhere in the bottom of my 5.7 hemi pan is one half of a valve stem lock...fell in there about 80,000 miles ago

 

[70sixpkrt]

Do you have headers? If so, check on top in between the tubes. Been there done that.

 

[493 Mike]

Ooooh until it gets caught between the block and a cam lobe, or stops a lifter from rotating...

Hence, my question about LUCK!
Mike

 

[beanhead]

Hence, my question about LUCK!
Mike

Ha yeah! I think you're lucky if it goes in and ends up in the pan!

 

[beanhead]

Do you have headers? If so, check on top in between the tubes. Been there done that.

If he has headers, that's the first place I'd look too...as mentioned earlier!

 

[RobP]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I've checked every square inch of the garage, every pocket, every sofa/chair I've sat in over the past few days. I even checked the shop-vac and the trash as well. Of course I've also looked in every nook and cranny under the car from above and below.
Of course I did have a towel over them, but removed one when I was working on the threads.....
I do have a small puddle of oil in the back of the valley pan so it probably should be checked anyway.

 

[RobP]

If he has headers, that's the first place I'd look too...as mentioned earlier!

No headers, stock HP manifolds.

 

[Durandal25]

Look around the K member.......I've lost several bolts that end up there....