need help!! I was changing my oil and also spark plugs on my 2004 XA. I think I dropped one of the bolts that holds the spark plug cable (10mm by about 1' long) into the oil hole (where you fill the engine with oil). I say I think beacuse I heard a couple of dings, but did not actually see it drop in there. Initially I though it fell behind the engine, but I have looked all over and can't find the bolt. I also took a hose and sprayed all around the engine hoping that it was stuck, but still can't find it. I used a antenna looking magnet to check through the oil drain plug and don't feel anything in there.....Since then, I filled it with oil and started the engine normally and no rare sounds....question, if in fact it is in the engine, will this blow my engine?? or will it just sit at the bottom?

 

LOL your engine is not a bottomless pit. Even if it fell in where u pour oil it wouldn't get very far you would of seen it. If your really freaked out just pop off the valve cover takes 10min tops.

 

As I explained....I did not see it!! and I'm being carefull since I obviusly don't know much about cars (as it should be obvious from my stupid question....) and don't really know the worst that could happen if in fact the bolt is in there.........taking the valve cover off is way out of my league!!! so.....what's the answer to my initial question???

 

Actually... it is a bottomless pit when you start putting money into it, lol.

EJO, it definitely will not sit at the bottom. There's way to many things for it to go through to get to the bottom, 99.9% sure it's physically impossible. It would most likely mess up something, probably your valvetrain. The valve cover really is not that hard to take off. You only need a few tools to take it off and like stated earlier, it won't take long at all. Take your coilpacks off, one bolt each. Then a few hoses to take off and I think you should be good to go.

 

it takes liek 15 mins to take the valve cover off but i feel like if you started it and theres no noises or anything then its prob not in there

 

Double check. The valve cover is only held on by some 10mm bolts. Undo the spark plug coil packs and move them, then undo the bolts and take the cover off. It really is that easy and well worth it. If the bolt did indeed fall into the oil hole, it is most likely still in the valve cover since there's a metal plate between the oil fill and the cams, chain, etc. When you pull the cover, if it rattles, the bolt is there and no harm done, just shake it out.

If the bolt fell past that plate, there's a lot of moving stuff in that area. If it gets in the cam lobe path, it can damage the cam and that's bad news. If it slipped by the chain and fell down to the bottom end where the crankshaft is, again if a moving part hits it the engine could be damaged. Alternately, it could just wedge in the bottom between the timing chain (side) cover and the block, and not do anything. Good luck, use a flashlight. If you find it and need to fish it out, a magnet on a telescoping stick works great.

BTW, I lose bolts on occasion, usually they fall between the block and the alternator mounting bracket, either that or fall down and sit on the suspension frame. The best sound in the world when working on a car is hearing a bolt hit concrete.