ok was goofing with it this weekend and I started it with a fresh new batch of lifters for the second time and I still hear that damn clacking noise. But this time, I hear it from the drivers side rather than the passengers, this leads me to believe its one of my damn rockers smacking on my spring retainers. So I think I find the right one and pull it off. Well, seeing how I had been at this for a few hours I wasn't thinking. When I had previously bent my pushrods, some of them tore holes in the head gasket guides for the rockers, so my push rod slid right into the intake a couple seconds after I took the noisy rocker off. I try to fish it out from the head with a pen magnet but can't get it at the right angle. I got so pist that day I didn't even bother to try anymore. Now I feel I can get it however, I don't want to pull the intake, is it possible to fish this sucker out through the throttle body or maybe if I took the throttle body off? Thanks.

 

I have this thing with a strong magnet on a semi-rigid stalk. Forget what it's called but you probably know what I mean. I bet you could get it with that.

Rich

 

So its possible to fish it out from the throttle body? It fell where the lifter valleys are and its probably lying down on the spider.

 

Just so you know that the area it fell into isn't accessible through the throttle body!
Think of behind the throttle body as a box and the only way out of that box is to go out through the head into the cylinders. The area that it fell into is under that air “box” in the lifter valley. If the magnets don’t work you would probably need to pull the intake to get it out. Good luck, sucks to hear that happened, stuff like that happens to me all the time making projects last twice as long!!

 

Argh, I figured that was the case. This blows.

 

When a lifter went bad on mine I snapped a push rod in half and had to pull the intake. I replaced the pushrod, put it back together, and went for a test drive. Everything was going good untill I deceided to stomp it, bent the god damn thing again. This time it was bent like a bannana and chewed the absoult crap out of one of the rockers. When I went to loosen the rocker and grab the push rod, the push rod shot down into the lifter valley. This time I pulled the intake, repalced the lifter, push rod, and now no problems. Short answer made long, but my money is on you having to pull the intake. I just dont see any other way, trust me I screwed with all different kinds of gadets, tools, combination,etc. The hole is too narrow and the push rod is too long to just "grab" it and slide it out. Either way good luck.

 

Well look at the bright side we (3rd gens) have PLENTY of room to work on the motor, unlike the 4th gens. It is big headache to pull the intake off my 96z compared to my RS where the whole motor is exposed, instead of 1/2 of it being covered.

 

pasky,if you pull the valve covers off you may be able to get the pushrod out from the opposing side usind a telescoping magnet

 

It is the little things that keep us humble!!!!!!
I broke a pushrod into the intake once and i could actually get it on the magnet but it was impossible to get it back out. Fortunately i pulled the intake, to find ANOTHER little piece . If you care about your motor you need to check in the lifter valley. Btw-to reduce the clacking, provided everything is in good mechanical shape, adjust the rockers with the motor at operating temp.
Good luck...

 

This isn't rocker ticking, this is clacking like fricken loud. Its not the valve adjustment, I have a broken rocker arm. Appreciate the tips, you just have to understand throughout last week and this weekend i've had the intake off 8 different times and its just so annoying. I can now pull it off in roughly 10 minutes i've done it so much.