atlantino224

Hello everyone! I have recently purchased a 2002 S2K with 44K miles on it. The car ran pretty good up until the other day when I noticed a ticking noise coming from the valve cover (not super loud but enough to get my attention) and after doing some research I suspected it to be a valve adjustment job. I took it apart and started inspecting the clearance on the valves and when I got to cylinder 3 I noticed that one of the lock nut retainers that go on the adjustment screw on the intake side was missing. I started unscrewing the one next to it to take it to my local hardware store and buy another one when it slipped from my fingers and felt into a tyne whole that is right next to it. I have attached a picture to show you in detail what I'm talking about. My fear is that the lock nut might have fallen inside the cylinder head and cause major damage when I crank it. I did manage to turn the engine by hand and didn't notice anything getting stuck or anything hitting other parts. Anyone care to help with some suggestions as to how I can go about fixing this? That tiny whole lines up with one of the intake manifold ports so I don't know if I take the intake manifold I might be able to recover it or if I need to tear down the entire cylinder head to remove it. Any help you can provide will be much appreciated.

askin

That looks like a hole that drains oil from the head to the crankcase. If that's the case your nut probably ended up in the crankcase. If you can source a magnet on a rod you might try fishing for the nut down the drain hole in the hope that the nut didn't go all the way down.

atlantino224

Yeah I was going to try that and see if I could manage to fish it out that way. What I'm also wondering is where did the missing nut go then? Like I said before the car was running fine and suddenly the ticking noise appeared. Before taking the other lock nut out I checked everywhere to see if it was there somehow but didn't see anything, how else would it be missing then? So if my worst fear is confirmed, meaning that the nut traveled all the way down, does that mean a complete tear down of the engine? I defenitely can't do all that on my own, how much would I be looking at to pay a mechanic to have this done perhaps? I can't believe my luck!!!

2003AP1

Try draining the oil. If it doesnt come out in the oil then, with the oil drain nut removed and a pan underneath it pour oil into the valve cover area to try to wash it down into the crankcase and have it come out the oil pan. Best idea I have other the tearing apart the whole motor.

RacerXI

Drain the oil and use a magnet inside the drain hole. I had this happen on my civic once or twice.

Avionics86

I bet if you remove the oil pan you will find both nuts. Get a service manual and it will tell you how to remove and install the pan.

atlantino224

First of all, thanks everyone for the helpfull tips. I tried fishing the lock nut through the draining hole with a magnet but was not successful at it. I then tried draining the oil and flushing it out and nothing. I then removed the oil pan hoping to find it there and still nothing. I am wondering how long was I driving the car with the loose nut in the engine and then falling into the drain hole without damaging any componets, obviously nothing got broken or should I say "luckily". Do the drain holes in the cylinder head go directly down to the oil pan or route elsewhere too? I don't want to crank the car until I have gotten that nut out of the engine but then again I don't want to tear the whole engine apart as it would seem to be extremely costly, but I do need to drive the car eventually.

Billman250

check on top of the windage tray.

also, you're not finding that nut anywhere but honda. It is hardened steel. no other will do.

Use a magnet and chedk all the little oil pockets in the head for the original lost nut.

wrecked

I dropped a keeper down one of those oil return holes when i was replacing my valve spring retainers. My solution was to install a magnetic drain plug and do a few track days. After that, when I went to pull the plug to change the oil, the keeper was stuck right to the magnet like I suspected.

Billman250

you know if the car has been running like that for some time, the original lost nut might be in the oil pump pickup against the screen. fish around in there.

Of course you still need to find the second nut.

I have also lost a keeper in there. I drained the oil, reached in with a telescope magnet through the drain plug hole and got it right away.