think i got a BIG problem

Hey guys... hate to sound stupid here, but i was changing the oil pan gasket on my 98 GSX and found a bunch of parts in the bottom of the pan. It looks like a couple of valve keepers and possibly a part of the valve itself, but the car ran fine except for a little tick, which i figured was the lifters? The pistons and crank and all look like they are fine, but if something happened on top how would it get to the pan without breaking more stuff?? Any ideas, i could use all the help i can get..... Thanks (Yeah.. im new by the way, been reading a lot on here, just never posted anything til now) I need help desperately.

i don't think there's anyway for that to happen. for it to get to the pan, it has to pass by the piston and that wouldn't be possible unless the piston "fell out" of the cylinder. i would check those parts again and make sure that's what it is and if so, pull the head and see what the fuck happened and more so, how the fuck they got to the bottom without wrecking anything else. sorry about the f-bombs, I just needed the emphasis

Valve train parts can fall into the oil pan through the oil drain holes. Too add some emphasis, its perfectly fuckin possible. :D

I would pull the valve cover imediately and make sure all valves are operating properly. Turn it over if you have to. Missing keepers/locks usually mean a valve down the hatch, which gets ugly. Do a compression test as well. But if you lost a valve you'd know it. My guess is the car blew up on the previous owner and this is old news.

damn i don't know, the chances of that happing are to damn slim. did you buy this used? and was it moded before you got it? i really dought that the parts went down the oil hole and did not mess anything up, like crank. how big are these parts?

I would definately have to agree with Kevin. I think its debris from the previous owner. Old news.

Yeah.. i bought it used, all stock. The previous owner said he never had any problems with it at all and siad he had it maintenanced like it was supposed to be at the mitsubishi dealer in st. louis. I am actually hoping he lied to me to get me to buy the car cause i really don't need this problem, lol. Hope you guys are right and it is old news, cause the pieces are about the size of a quarter or nickel. I think i would have noticed a difference. Thanks again.

Pull the valve cover and take a look. It takes me less time to pull a valve cover than it does to login and make this post :D

MUHAHA U MUST BUY A WHOLE NEW ENGINE!... J/k i hope... i realy have no Fing clue whats wrong... parts in oil pan.... = FING BAD! (F bomb emphasis without the F bomb) if ur not comfortable working on ur car or something take it in RIGHT NOW! aint no shame... car over pride!

Good news.. For me anyway... Took off valve cover and nothing is broke :) Thanks for the help though guys, I will probably be asking more questions later, lol.