Had my car's oil changed, mechanic found this bolt stuck to the magnetic drain plug of the crank case.

Any idea where this bolt is from?

What do you think I should do? Unless someone can identify the bolt it would be pretty hard to figure out where the bolt came. Almost like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.

Car runs fine, nothing is amiss, no strange noises. As far as I know the engine has never been opened, the only thing that's been done to the engine is a clutch change and replacement of the valve cover seals.

 

Wow, now thats a find!

The bolt head appears to have cosmoline on it -- could you verify that? If so, it isnt from the inside of the engine.

 

valve cover bolt?

 

Wow, that's petty crazy. Totally just a guess here, but could it be a valve cover bolt? Maybe when the valve cover gaskets were replace one ended up sitting on the inside of one of the covers and wasn't noticed, installed, and worked it's way down to the crankcase. Is that even possible? That's all I've got, I'm a real rookie when it comes to these engines.

If you had the valve cover gaskets replaced recently you could look and see if the bolts were replaced also, or maybe just one of them was replaced...

Edit : swmic beat me to it. ;-)

 

Valve cover bolt that slid down one of the oil return tubes.

Either that, or your mechanic is trying to drum up some business...


Andreas

 

yes, wow!

Pretty beat up too.

I am having a hard time picturing the diameter but it is possible it is a valve cover bolt. Length is about right. If it is 6mm, that is my guess though the captured washer is AWOL
And it would be a heck of a shot getting down the oil return tube.

EDIT: you people are fast... I start typing, step away, finally hit "post" and there are 3 more replies!

 

Valve cover bolt is what I'm thinking too. Check the size with VC bolt.

I don't see how that is from inside of the engine and car's running fine. And ti looks too weak to be something related to connecting rods or crank.

 

I was in on the group buy recently for new valve covers, and along with the new gaskets I ordered new valve cover hardware. Here are a couple pics of one of the new valve cover bolts that FisterD sent me for reference.

 

I'd like to add that you are VERYYYYYY luckly the bolt made it down to the drain plug w/o damaging the engine.

Cheers,
Joe

 

Wow!

 

Looks like it was nicely knackered up in the process of getting to the drain plug.

WOW.

 

Sure looks like a valve cover bolt.

You are one lucky guy!



Bob-

 

+17 on the valve cover bolt. Was looking at them just last night.

 

If that bolt is a M6 x 30 socket head cap screw which is what it looks like, it would be off a valve cover. BTW, you don't count the head of the fastener in the length.

The question is, what caused it to look like that and what do the other parts inside the engine look like?

 

Where's the washer?