I recently had to replace the gasket in my valve covers on my 86 iroc. I accidentally broke off a piece of the valve cover, and didn't hear it. I put everything back together, and started the car up.

Well...now i got this ticking where i was working. Duh, i did something wrong. So i take the valve cover back off. and find this 3 inch piece of 1/4" tubing stuck under my valve spring.

I removed the tubing, and replaced the valve cover...and everything seemed back to normal.

4 days go by...and the ticking has come back...and the engine is now "missing" on that cylinder. (I have hydrolic valve springs...i think thats what they are)... is there any way i can fix this? Or did i bend the push rod...or worse?

-Ted

 

I think it's likely that you bent or broke the pushrod. You need to take it apart to see. It's probably possible that you broke the spring as well, but I can only guess. Watch the placement of the gasket next time, you need to keep it inside the valve cover when you drop it on.