Patient: 1992 1.6, 150K on her, last 60K FMII. Conservative tune, 93 octane, M1 oil for past 100K.
A week ago, I pull out of my garage to leave after stopping into my house to be greeted by very loud clatter from the engine. This is not normal injector noise or lifter tick from a hot start: it sounds pure metal on metal in rhythm with valve train. I have parked the car and been trying to do basic tests since then. If an HLA was clogged, I did a oil change, flush, and have put new M1 in. Now, the car will typicall start with no noise immediately being heard when I cold start the car. However either on its own, or with some throttle goosing, I can get the clacking to come back after 15 seconds - 1 min of run time. Car has good oil pressure from the OPG in car, idles nice and smooth. A few times while listening to the car with a mechanics stethoscope, the engine did suddenly stutter a bit, and shake, then recovered back to a smooth idle (with lots of noise) With the stethoscope, I think I can isolate it to the 2 or 3 cylinder, though my ear is very untrained in the art of where is the bad noise coming from inside my engine. Being as it can come and go, I am SWAG'ing this is not a bottom end issue (rod knock, bearing issues, etc...) that you would hear all the time. Knowing HLAs work on oil pressure, and can be finicky, I can try to logically conclude the variation could be them as well. Hey, I am trying :) I realize its difficult to advice via email on cases like this...but being outside Philadelphia, I can't drop it off at FM :( I am not afraid to put some time and money into her: the chassis is solid and I have a lot of love into this car (its yellow if that helps sway anyone :). I am just not sure what I should be looking for when I pull the valve cover, cams and examine the HLAs, let alone should I be thinking of pulling the head and valve springs, etc... As swank-tastic as an FM built head is, I think that is overkill for my older but not dead yet miata. Its coming on perfect miata weather right now and she's parked in the garage. Help a fellow brother out here :) Thanks for listening folks, - b _______________________________________________ Miatapower mailing list [email protected] http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
