Object found in engine,..can anyone ID this piece?

2000 cavalier Z24
manual
115,000 miles

Ok so last week I am driving to class and I heard a bang/clank.
I brushed it off and figured i hit something on the road. My music was up so I could not hear any effects right off the bat. When I was leaving class I started my engine and immediately heard a loud clanking/ticking noise coming from the engine.

I ripped into the engine and all 4 cylinders are around 200-210 psi.
I did find this piece of metal in the section of the engine right above the valves but below the camshaft housing. I spotted it by luck when I was looking down the fuel injector opening and was able to pull it out with a magnet.
I am not sure this is what was causing the noise, it is not banged up/or scratched a whole lot. however, I do not know where this came from.

What in the world is this from?
thanks!

Note:
- clicking/clanking Noise is independent of whether or not the car is IN or OUT of gear
- Noise does increase as engine RPMS increase.


image below or view it at the following address

http://crucialfactor.com/object_engine.jpg

http://crucialfactor.com/object_engine.jpg

What engine?

It appears to be about the size of an axle from the roller on a lifter/cam follower, but depending upon your engine, that may or may not apply.

sorry, the engine is the 2.4 ltr

That's a 1993 Lincoln head penny! What's that doing in your engine?

Seriously though, it looks like the inner part of the tappet (the thing that transfers motion from the cam to the valve) How it would get to the valve head.... I don't really know, but there'd have to be a hole the size of the in the head to let it get to where it was (I think, I've only been inside one of these engines once). Since it was resting on the valve, you know that valve isn't opening, or it would have gone down into the cylinder. Rotate the engine by hand and confirm that valve isn't opening.

It appears to be about the size of an axle from the roller on a lifter/cam follower

I'm going to have to agree here.

It appears to be about the size of an axle from the roller on a lifter/cam follower,......

If this is the case,.... what impact does it have if i drive without this piece in the car? the car starts up and runs ok with out it (with the exception of the ticking sound)

I was able to remove the cam and lifters while the engine remained in the car,...can i replace this "roller" , or is it easier to buy a new head assembly? Am I able to replace the head assembly without pulling the engine?

Is the "piston" in this picture what you two are refering to?
http://www.nuvision.ndo.co.uk/tappet1.jpg

I don't remember there being any rollers in this engine?

It could also be part of a one way check valve. Maybe it's an extra one from the factory. It could happen.

Is the "piston" in this picture what you two are refering to?
http://www.nuvision.ndo.co.uk/tappet1.jpg

hah, no that is definetely NOT a piston.

JI don't remember there being any rollers in this engine?

I agree, this is the dual over head cam I am almost sure this piece is not from my engine. I had work done on it and I think it was placed in there through my intake,..accidently or not (its a long story).

Besides the fact, the engine still makes noise. What are the chances that the bearings where the connecting rods meet the crankshaft are worn thus the source of knocking? I should mention there WAS a severe lack of oil for an extended period of time before this "ticking/knocking" started lol.
Am I able to pull the oil pan off to check this?

Besides the fact, the engine still makes noise. What are the chances that the bearings where the connecting rods meet the crankshaft are worn thus the source of knocking? I should mention there WAS a severe lack of oil for an extended period of time before this "ticking/knocking" started lol.
Am I able to pull the oil pan off to check this?

With that statement said, I would be willing to say your main bearings are toast. Not only is that motor known for spinning main bearings, but it has an already poor oiling system/pump.

With that statement said, I would be willing to say your main bearings are toast. Not only is that motor known for spinning main bearings, but it has an already poor oiling system/pump.

any suggestions on how to confirm if this is the problem? I take it this is requires an engine pull to fix? Does pulling the oil pan allow me to verify any bearings that may need replacing on the crankshaft?

thanks!

hah, no that is definetely NOT a piston.

I agree, this is the dual over head cam I am almost sure this piece is not from my engine. I had work done on it and I think it was placed in there through my intake,..accidently or not (its a long story).

Besides the fact, the engine still makes noise. What are the chances that the bearings where the connecting rods meet the crankshaft are worn thus the source of knocking? I should mention there WAS a severe lack of oil for an extended period of time before this "ticking/knocking" started lol.
Am I able to pull the oil pan off to check this?

definetely? You mean definitely? Anyway, if you look up "piston", you'll find they can be more than the big aluminum thing at the top of the connecting rod. (I'll teach you to laugh at me :)) The center part of the tappet was referred to as the piston on the page that image was from (which I realize now was not labeled in the picture, and that's not from the 2.4, just a representation). Also, the valves open far enough that a piece that small would have fallen into the cylinder, not rested on top of a valve, which means that one valve is not opening, which is why I thought it was the piston out of the tappet.

How long was the engine run low on oil, and how low was it? I would expect a knocking to start while the engine was low on oil, not after... which is not to say that adding oil would put metal back on the bearings. Since you describe the noise as a ticking/knocking, it would also lead me to think something in the valvetrain. Ticking usually points to the valvetrain.

The piece you are referring to in the center of the tappet is much larger than the piece I found. I actually thought that may have came from that so I pulled one out and sure enough the piece I had found was much smaller in diameter.

I'm pretty sure all the valves are indeed opening. There is no way for the valve not to open with the cam in normal operation without some serious damage to the pistons.

Here's the skinny on the oil issue, 10-15k miles since the previous oil change, You are correct, the noise DID start happening when the car was low on oil. I tore into the engine, drained the oil and found approx 1-2 quarts.
I know I obviously neglected the car, I just have been extremely busy and was waiting till break to change the oil, I suppose I should have at least checked the level,...oh well.

I'm debating on pulling the oil pan next weekend to see if I can confirm anything, otherwise I may just end up getting rid of the car next week.

looks like a dowel pin to me.