99silverslug

So Tuesday morning before work just after gettin my exhaust installed in my 99 sedan I heard a abrupt rattle coming from the engine, it stopped and came back again a few times within a five minute period. I had no choice but to drive to work, I got to work after babying it, popped the hood and noticed a broken valve cover bolt, shortly after work was done me and a buddy pulled the valve cover to look for pieces of the broken bolt didn't find nothing in the valve train, motor is a d series 1.6 non vtec there is a oil gallery hole that drops down to the bottom end right beside where this bolt broke, has anyone ever had one of these shitty valve cover bolts break and have peices end up down below ? I put a big magnet and it stopped the rattle, so I decide to drain the oil and try and use the magnet from the outside of the oil pan to get it out with no victory, I started the car back up with new oil and filter and the magnet on the pan, the noise came back and I haven't started the car since out of frustration. I need to get a gasket and drop the pan I know this, but the noise get a little more noticable with the clutch pressed in All the way, why would this be? Where else could the debris end up? My guess as to why it stops and starts is the crank is sucking it up into rotating parts and it makes noise then it falls to the pan and becomes quiet then gets sucked up again, has anyone else ever witness this? Car runs fine no lack of power or hesitations. noise was only at idle or low revs. I was hoping my first post here wouldn't have to be something like this..

B serious

iTrader: (1)

You could have clutch/throw out bearing problems. Or thrust bearing failure from holding your clutch pedal down at stoplights/low oil.

It would be hard for the broken valve cover bolt to fall in the engine. They usually break from over torquing. The part with the flange won't fit through the valve cover hole. The part sans flange would be tightened to the head. I guess if just the non-flanged portion came loose, you'd have a problem.

If the bolt loosened up and fell out as 1pc, I don't believe it's possible for it to fall into the valve cover or fit down a galley.

09chaplak

I've broken the top bolt piece off from over torquing them but I can't even think of how any piece of the bolt could end up floating around in there. Is the threaded part still stuck in the place where you would screw it in? Maybe a piece of that came loose and could be floating around but definitely not the top bolt part. If your hunch is correct, wait till the sound comes back and then drop the pan, see if you find anything.

TanEJ1

Don't worry my d16z6 just had the same problem, the tick went away after a loud rattle.. I got lucky I guess.....

99silverslug

I know the head of bolt won't into the valve cover (it's still there) the break looks like a dirty break not a clean snap, the guy who owned it before had painted the cover probly over torqued it, I got a new gasket and I'm dropping the pan in the morning, the throw out bearing would be too I suppose? The rattle stopped once I parked it with the magnet on the pan hopefully it's stuck to the pan right now and it's right in front of my eyes when I take it off, is it easier to remove the whole header or just tackle the tight spot and get the A pipe off it? I'm really hoping for a miracle I've been driving my moms mustang and I miss my honda lol

strategy400

Could it be a part of the new exhaust rattling?

09chaplak

I would try to work within the area without taking the exhaust out because once you do, you have to loosen every other piece to get them to all back together, at least on my setup you do.

99silverslug

We'll it looks as if just unbolt the a pipe off the aftermarket header, undo the springs holding it to the rest, and it should drop out, reinstalling it Im gunna have to clamp the flanges before tightening the header spring/bolts to the rest of the exhaust system, and I don't think the rest of the exhaust way back at the muffler is making the noise, it can be heard from the front of the car I only had the muffler installed and new hangers installed so it sits as high as it can without rubbing or rattling, it was fine until I noticed the valve cover bolt was broken, I have to borrow a jack tomorrow I can't get my car up high enough safely so I'm gunna jack it and stick it on Ramps for this job