Flying through a Valve adjustment, and discovered why car was running BAD!!!! Options

[Noodles]

OK first off I'm a complete noobie. Have had my teener for about 2 months now so I'm learning everything as I go.

Today I tore off my valve covers because car started running very badly. Had a big miss and lost almost all power. Was adjusting valves starting at 1 and working my way around, had a few that were in need of adjusting then I got to number 4 and found this.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i1028.photobucket.com-14688-1346548525.1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i1028.photobucket.com-14688-1346548525.2.jpg)

The nut was sitting in the bottom and the washer is just missing. Ran a magnet around and just no luck finding it. Dont know if its in the bottom end or what.

I got some new washers and tightened it down but now it pushes the rocker down to far once its good and tight, (I think thats what its called, like I said I'm very very new) and I cant get a feeler gauge in to adjust the valves, Its pushed way down below the spring and very tight. I can move the far right one but the one on the left wont budge whatsoever.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Am I going to have to tear this all apart and redo it or am I just missing something easy?

[Bob L.]

I'll bet it went down the oil return tube. If you can pull the rockers and the pushrods you can try the magnet stick down the tubes to extract it. Perhaps with the right magnet you could do it without removing everything. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)