Originally Posted by BoostLogik
Obviously, a 10mm bolt could not of just made it's way in there on it's own. Somehow, it made it's way through the intake tract (most likely the upper I/C pipe in my opinion), lodged itself past the throttle body and has been rattling around in the valve cover area for the last 2 years/20,000 miles, and now has finally made it's way down into the block area. It currently, lodged itself in between an exhaust valve, killing my one cylinder, hence why my motor was running like shit.
Problem with that theory: the only direct connection between the valvetrain and the intake ports is through the valve guides, which are pretty much taken up by valves and pretty effectively sealed with valve stem seals. The bolt would have to have been in the intake system somewhere, maybe slowing working its way through the intercooler one fin crushed at a time? I don't know how to explain a bolt hanging around in the intake system for such a long time as anything other than a fluke.