Kioti LK3054 mystery part in valve cover

[bufordberry]

A year ago I bought a late 90's/early 2000 pre XS Kioti LK3054 tractor with 700 hours. I changed the oil, filters, and hydraulic fluid and it ran until last month. While it was idling, it started knocking. I shut it off and took it to my diesel mechanic. I also bought a shop manual for him to reference. When he took off the valve cover, he found this piece laying on top of the head. It is about 3/4 inches long, is threaded on 1 end and has a screwdriver slot on the other. It is about 3/16 inches in diameter and has a hole in the middle (you can push a wire through it). It has some dings on it and he thinks it may have gotten under one of the rockers and was causing the noise. It appears to be an oiler of some type. However, we cannot find this piece referenced in the shop manual or on any online parts website. He has taken off the head, oil pan, and the gear case. The pistons, rods, rod bearings, timing gears, crank and etc, all look good and are tight. He's had 4 people look and no one can find where this piece goes or where it came from. Does anyone have an idea of what it is? We're beginning to think it's a foreign part that got dropped in the valve cover, but it's hard to believe how that could happen and that it hasn't cause any trouble for 100 hours of operation.

 

[Leejohn]

Just a guess, but check and see how the rocker arm shaft gets oil.

 

[bufordberry]

Thanks. We'll check. Seems strange it's not on any of the exploded views.

 

[Highgear]

Looks almost like an alignment pin used in assembly . After assembly -screwed out and removed ? Fell in by mistake ?( Just thinking out of the box ! )

 

[Patches]

I have the parts manual for the 3054 and 3054xs; that piece does not appear on any part/description of either the head or rocker arm assemblies??

 

[ritcheyvs]

Any chance it is part 15221-14421 (SCREW, HOLDER) which is part #10 in this parts diagram?

 

[ozley]

Boy you put in the part # in Google you get screw holder. What will they think of next.

 

[bufordberry]

ritcheyvs, The screw holder does look like a possibility. I will have him check. Thanks. That looks promising.

 

[Patches]

Any chance it is part 15221-14421 (SCREW, HOLDER) which is part #10 in this parts diagram?

OOPS, I missed that one; sure looks like it

 

[rd_macgregor]

Any chance it is part 15221-14421 (SCREW, HOLDER) which is part #10 in this parts diagram?

So, will there be one of those in each of the rocker arm supports (part #9); i.e., was the part left out of the other ones in the diagram for simplicity sake?