Originally Posted by danr1

+1 sounds like that lifter ran dry, no oil flow to the upper valve train, the lifter worn down until it had a hole in it, the rocker arm freezing on its pivot next time around the lifter came up bent the rod.

By the time got the cover off things had cooled allowing things to move freely again.

Someone asked early on to see pictures of everything involved, lacking more to go on no one could say for sure.

We need to know things like where the rod was found, proper position, condition of the rocker arm condition of its pivot point. How much fuel in the oil, any other damage beyond that one rod/lifter.

Fairly safe to say the piston had nothing to do with it, it would hit the valve on to much of an offset to drive the valve up pretzel that rod.

Excessive fuel would be cycled through as long as the valves opened and closed a little bit, goes to fuel in oil, if enough fuel to hydro lock that cylinder? the oil would be loaded with fuel.....that and the connecting rod for that piston would resemble that push rod!

Anyway using information provided, complete lack of lubrication to that lifter is what I believe did it in.

Originally Posted by Bird-Dog 250

Time to stop pondering tear it down!