I purchased a scout II with a 345 in it. The engine ran poorly(about 1/4 the power and burning oil) and I figured it was a leaking head gasket and the timing was off so recently I took the engine apart to replace the gaskets and I looked in the valley between the heads and two of the lifter rods were bent and one was broken in half. The three lifters themselves were also out but there doesn't seem to be much damage except there is also a piece of metal that is loose in the vally, it is about 3/4" wide by 2" long and shaped in a quarter circle(it looks like it came from the lifters but I could'nt tell where it came from). I am planning to replace the lifters and rods but does anybody know what this piece of metal goes to and what caused the lifter rods to bend and break?