What was suppose to be a few hours worth of a job has turned into two days is starting to turn into two weeks+

Valve cover gasket replacement was going good until I got to these pretty silver SAI valves. Had to use a vice grip to remove the studs out of the upper intake and then nearly bent the pipe off the passenger side valve because the nut on the exhaust manifold was seized to the pipe. Anyway pulled everything off and got the valve covers back on and the SAI valves back on to where it was time to reinstall the upper intake manifold. This is where it gets interesting. Apparently there are two spacers? between the upper and lower intake manifolds that are removable. The rave manual says nothing about them and neither does Atlantic British's video other than the fact that they are there. Did I mention they were gone? I stuck a camera in the inlets and what do you know there's one sitting right under whatever stick/valve/thing is at the bottom of the inlet in cylinder 1. I tried a magnet and a shop vacuum, can't get it. I'm thinking before I remove the upper intake I can try a bigger vacuum and at least move it out a bit to stick the magnet but at the same time, there are 2 of those spacers and I only found 1. Guess I gotta pull the manifold.

TLDR:
1. If you're pulling the upper intake manifold be careful about those spacers.
2. Any ideas on how to get a spacer out of the lower intake inlet of cylinder 1 before I pull the whole thing?
3. Is it possible for a spacer to drop into the lower intake and go into the cylinder? Is the passage large enough?
4. What is the stick/valve/thing that I am looking at when I stick the camera into the lower intake manifold inlet?

Oh and did I mention I just ordered in the LAST "spacer" from the dealer in the US? Found it after some digging but it's on the way. Rovers North has them listed but they don't stock them, they have to ship them from the UK.

Appreciate the help guys

 

You must be referring to the hollow locating dowels around two of the bolt holes. I was not aware they would come out easily. I think loctite would be appropriate when you get the new ones. You need to fish the one out you can see, but if they are stainless that may be tough. Some low grade stainless is magnetic, but most isn't. Those sticks are your pushrods or valve stems. I'd be finding that other one before I proceeded. Did you look in the bottom of the upper manifold?

 

That is exactly what I am referring to. I didn't nor did any of the resources that I looked into before I started the job. Are they stainless? I was hoping they were magnetic but I guess that explains why I wasn't having much luck with the magnet. It is right under the pushrod I guess. I am going to try and get a powerful shop vacuum and either suck it up or at least move it out so that I can get a wire around it or the magnet right on it before I go ahead pulling the lower intake. I did check the bottom of the upper intake, no luck. I am going to scour the garage floor looking for the missing one but is it possible it could of fallen into a cylinder? If I pull the lower intake I want to know I can stop there and know it didn't get further to where I need to pull the head.

Another question is if I do have to go ahead and pull the lower intake, is there anything I should do while I am down there? I'm at 115,000 with other than a leaking valve cover which was just replaced, a very strong and healthy engine. Are the head gaskets worth doing as preventative maintenance?

 

Also since I'll have to drain my coolant system, is it worth switching over to green coolant? What is the specific type of coolant, brands etc.?

 

 

Do not put that engine back together until you account for all those little spacers.

 

Or at least get a cheap bore scope off Amazon and look around

 

I did my head gasket job, i accounted for all of mine. Then i found one in my oil pan. I have an extra lol.

 

I've got a borescope coming in tonight. My main concern is that one could have gotten kicked around on the garage floor and I wouldn't find it down the manifold. Should I be concerned that one made it into a cylinder or anywhere else? And should I be swapping anything else out as preventative maintenance?

 

If it made it into your cylinder... you must have been juggling it in your hands.

Worst case scenario it is in the rocker area and it falls to the oil pan, and comes out when you either reseal it or do an oil change. It won't get sucked back into the engine, there is a mesh.


The stick? If I'm thinking where you stuck the camera, that's a valve lol



To remove anything from the engine I bought a little grabber thing, I'll have to see if I can grab a photo if you'd like. It's like one of those claw machines we used to play with as kids for a quarter.