The cheap fix in your case is to source a known good used head. The 1.6 heads are a dime a dozen, no point in spending a lot of money on a reuild or buying a rebuilt head. If you absolutely want to rebuild it, there is a site that charges around $350 i believe. It's up to you how much you want to spend, but this may be a good time to get the FM head gasket and some ARP head bolts, they are well worth the money and you should not reuse your current ones if you do take the head of.
Let me know if you need help locating a used head, i may know a place or two.
Good Luck
Danijel Krajisnik
--- On Fri, 4/18/08, Brian Van Lieu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
From: Brian Van Lieu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: What to look for with bad HLAs/Valve springs
To: "Miatapower" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, April 18, 2008, 3:02 PM
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
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