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2G Not sure if I dropped a bolt in my timing cover...?

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msisto

Proven Member
37
2
Jun 30, 2018
Rochester, New_York
Just finished doing a timing belt job on my 98 GST. I was putting in the top timing cover, and had to remove a 16mm bolt from the valve cover (the previous owner never ran with a cover, but I try not to tempt fate). As I was removing it, I dropped it, but I didn’t see where. It was the bolt near the front of the car. Just as I was taking it out, it fell. I didn’t see where it went, only heard it hit something. I felt the likelihood of it going in the cover was slim.

Being dumb at 11:15pm, I turned the car over. Thought I heard a grind at first start, so I switched it off before it really even cranked once. I panicked and partially took off the middle timing cover. Didn’t see anything. Went under the car and took of the crank pulls and unbolted the bottom three cover bolts. I pulled out (what little I could) and nothing fell out. Crank plate looks fine. Looking in through the crank access hole, I didn’t see the bolt. Then I started and ran the car twice more and it ran just fine with no odd sounds. At this point, is it safe to assume it fell somewhere else? I should have know by now if it fell down there, right? There aren’t too many components, so it should have gotten stuck or fallen to the bottom, and I saw/noticed neither. Am I being extra paranoid now?
 
The ONLY way to know for sure is to completely remove the covers. You're asking us to speculate based on a start condition. We cant know any more than you. I wouldn't have even cranked it.
 
You’re right, sorry. Kinda dumb of me. Just got worried. I think it’s fine, but I’ll pull the covers off this evening to make sure
 
I found it. All the sounds I heard were just from me panicking haha. After taking off the timing covers, I found it chilling on top of where the water pump pulley enters its casting... which is outside of the timing covers...

So, I didn’t have to take them off after all if I had seen that, but it’s okay. Now I can rest assured that everything is fine.
 
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