2002 Buick Lesabre Custom 3.8L,. So I had a lifer making noise shut off and took apart. Coolant was leaking into one lifter very slowly. But the hydraulic lifter was broken and I found all but the clip and spring from it. Any ideas on where they went. Or has this happened to anyone else?

Can you post pics of this broken lifter? I'm not sure what you are saying that its broken.

This is all I found and something is wrapped around the rod.

Top of the lifter was still on when I took it out.

Probably laying in the valley or the bottom of the pan.

What carfixer007 said ^^^^^^^

This is extremely unusual. I've never seen it. Did it overrev or turn over a million miles or something?

I suggest replacing all lifters, pushrods and a complete overhead adjustment.

Only 102,890 miles. Yeah it was coolant leaking straight down the rod into it. Yeah I'm changing them all. Just worried about the other pieces I can't find.

Do a pan drop, worst case scenario is, oil pump picks up the one or two pieces, the G-rotor eats them and the filter traps it.