Valves hitting pistons?

[definitiveno]

I changed out the lifters for revised third gen model, forgot to let all the oil out of them and now the car is running terribly.

I started the car, it fumbled and ran very rough, I figured it would only take a second to let the valves adjust.

A second later the car starts making this "clack clack clack clack" sound repeatedly and at a very quick rate.

I called my mechanic and he said that it's not the valves, he thinks I did some thing else. Just bring it in he told me.

What is going on here?

 

[oldman]

Compression test time.

 

[paranoidTSi]

Ouch, chances are you trashed your valves. Does the car not turn over now?

 

[definitiveno]

Son of a bi***! I don't know how this happened. I plugged the spark plug holes with paper like the vfaq said but some how a freakin valve cover bolt found itself in cylender 3.


WTF do I do now? Still doesn't want to rotate very smoothly, but it still rotates. I pulled the bolt out but I can't find the bolt head for the life of me, it was completely broken off.

 

[1fast97gsx]

Now you pull the head. For future reference I suggest you leave the spark plugs in there and only take them out if you are changing them immediatly. Don't take them out for any other reason. Generally you also let the car sit a few hours to allow the lifters to naturally bleed down. I usually turn the crank by hand with a 1/2" drive to make sure all is well before I turn the key and try to start it. Hopefully not too much got damaged.

 

[GTM]

Son of a bi***! I don't know how this happened. I plugged the spark plug holes with paper like the vfaq said but some how a freakin valve cover bolt found itself in cylender 3.


WTF do I do now? Still doesn't want to rotate very smoothly, but it still rotates. I pulled the bolt out but I can't find the bolt head for the life of me, it was completely broken off.

Here are pictures of something small that passed from one cylr to the next via the intake valves..
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1501481#post1501481

While it may be possible to find the bolt head I would think that you at the least will be needing a piston and some/all valves for that cylr. The bolt head is large enough to hold the valves open and the piston to hit them. Worst case, bent rod, bent crank, and destroyed head.

You started the car up without accounting for all the valve cover bolts. You don't see professional mechanics with boom boxes perched on top of the car, why, because they want to hear when a washer falls onto a piece of carpet. Every piece every tool has to be accounted for, you can't drop something and say I'll get it later. When you work on cars you must assume Murphy knew what he was talking about.

What to do now? Start calling for parts and get all your ducks in a row, pull the head, measure the deck height of all pistons if you can find a clean spot.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Cheers,
GTM