Help! People with knowledge of M20 internals!

[Erick]

Ok here's the deal. I was doing a much needed tune up along with a valve adjustment. While torquing the exhaust locknut on the #3 cylinder, I accidently stripped it.

I went to replace it, and the replacement nut slipped and fell inside a hole on the bottom right corner. Now my question is.... does that go straight to the oilpan? I'm considering draining the oil (gotta do oil change as well) and while I'm at it I'll go in from the bottom with a magnet to try to find that locknut.

Where is my locknut?! o.O

Thanks guys,
Erick

[Kilomph]

I did the same thing. The genious that installed my valve cover studs must have used vise grips, and I kept stripping the nuts everytime I went to tighten them. I dropped a nut into the cyl 2, maybe cyl 3 oil drain hole. I drained the oil, and tried everything from magnets to wire to get the nut out. Ended up that the nut was too big for the oil drain hole, and had to pull the oil pan to get it out. You might be able to get away with a magnetic oil drain plug, but I didn't want to chance an oil starvation. Good luck, pulling the oil pan is easier then I thought.

[Erick]

I did the same thing. The genious that installed my valve cover studs must have used vise grips, and I kept stripping the nuts everytime I went to tighten them. I dropped a nut into the cyl 2, maybe cyl 3 oil drain hole. I drained the oil, and tried everything from magnets to wire to get the nut out. Ended up that the nut was too big for the oil drain hole, and had to pull the oil pan to get it out. You might be able to get away with a magnetic oil drain plug, but I didn't want to chance an oil starvation. Good luck, pulling the oil pan is easier then I thought.

Story of my life. Ended up dropping the oilpan. It was a bit painful, especially without the inverse torx sockets for the lower bellhousing cover.

Anyhow, I finished my valve adjustment and it felt even louder. Took everything out again, checked gaping, and it was all perfect. Put it all back in.. still ticking!!!

Fucking m20s. Come Saturday at the drift event I'm raping it regardless what stupid sounds it makes.

[Rennsport]

Story of my life. Ended up dropping the oilpan. It was a bit painful, especially without the inverse torx sockets for the lower bellhousing cover.

Anyhow, I finished my valve adjustment and it felt even louder. Took everything out again, checked gaping, and it was all perfect. Put it all back in.. still ticking!!!

Fucking m20s. Come Saturday at the drift event I'm raping it regardless what stupid sounds it makes.

probably a rocker

[Erick]

Motor took the whole day of abuse and still runs hard to this day. *knocks on wood*

[nando]

sometimes they will be noisy like that because the eccentrics have worn flatspots on them from high mileage. you could always take one out and have a look, they are pretty cheap to replace.

[Erick]

^ Thanks for the heads up. Will do on the next valve adjustment.

[Wiglaf]

i know that there's a good 3 or 4 of those floating around in my honda's oilpan. 240k miles and still rockin :pimp:

i wouldn't do that to my e30