Before tearing it apart you might try switching to low-cost 30W50 dino oil for a couple hundred miles. It may hurt your gas mileage a little but it won't hurt the motor and if things do change you'll have a better idea what you're up against..
----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Van Lieu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Miatapower" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 12:02 PM Subject: What to look for with bad HLAs/Valve springs > 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 _______________________________________________ Miatapower mailing list [email protected] http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
