Does anybody know what these plastic pieces are for? Pulled to valve cover to inspect the valve train because of a miss on cylinder 4 and slight rattle coming from valve cover. I found these pieces laying on top of the head between the rockers.
[img alt="Does anyone know what these plastic pieces are? I found them under my valve cover laying on top of the head. I pulled the cover because of a miss on cylinder 4 and a slight rattle coming from passenger valve cover.

1997 dodge ram 1500 5.2"]https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgeforum.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_6402_5dea1f2e629f3da1cf6e05170afc610681593658. jpeg[/img]
Does anyone know what these plastic pieces are? I found them under my valve cover laying on top of the head. I pulled the cover because of a miss on cylinder 4 and a slight rattle coming from passenger valve cover. 1997 dodge ram 1500 5.2

 

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Can you see that one? Sorry this is my first time trying to use the forums.

 

Yep, that one showed up.

I have no clue what those are...... Not even really sure what purpose they would serve..... Never seen anything like it under any of the valve covers I have had off..... Are there any others that may still be in place, wherever it is they go??? (somewhere under the valve cover at any rate, maybe holding pushrods, or some such??

 

I can’t see anything else under the valve cover that looks like those plastic pieces. On the bigger piece that isn’t broke, one end says “ped” on it and the other end says “14”. I didn’t see anything online that looked similar too it when I tried to search it on google. I thought I wasn’t on the right track to figuring out my misfire when I saw some broken parts but not its left me even more confused.

 

Welcome to the automotive world.

I have never seen anything like those pieces before..... How they managed to find your way under your valve cover is a mystery to me.... But, given the relative size of the pieces, there is still a bunch missing, and I'd be REAL curious where it went.....

Do you know which cylinder(s) are misfiring? Last time you changed the plugs? Cap and Rotor?

 

Cylinder 4 is misfiring. The truck has been missing for probably 10,000-14,000 miles if I had to guess. I changed the plugs wires and cap and rotor not long after it started misfiring. There was no change so I then replaced the distributor, with still no change. I didn’t drive it that much so it wasn’t a huge concern, I just worked on it when I could. I replaced the plenum plate a few thousand miles ago. I recently had the balancer walk off the pulley and rub a hole in the timing cover so I replaced both of those and did a timing chain while I was in there. I also replaced cylinder 4 injector recently, and verified good voltage to the injector with a noid light. I knew I had good fuel and spark so I took the valve cover off to inspect the valve train. I started the truck up today with the cover off and it seems like one of the #4 rockers isn’t getting quite as much oil as the others. It took longer to get oil to that rocker as well. Do you think a failed lifter? Pulled the rocker off and can see clearly through the pushrod.