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The hydraulic lifters on my NA6 engine (150,000 klms) are getting really noisy, hot or cold.
Sometimes on cold startup they are particularly noisy, and this is followed by a cloud of blue smoke at the exhaust. It only lasts a minute or so until it's burnt off, and doesn't happen once it's warmed up. Could this be caused by the lifters? The engine doesn't use oil...maybe 1/2 litre between 5000 klm changes .
Is it just a matter of replacing them, or is there likely to be something else that needs attention.

Stag76 wrote:The hydraulic lifters on my NA6 engine

Your engine doesn't have any. It has overhead cams.

Changing the engine oil and filter can reduce the cam follower noise. This is a very common complaint amongst NA owners.

Your blue smoke is either rings or valve stem seals.

Your engine doesn't have any. It has overhead cams

Plenty of OHC engines have hydraulic lifters, Are you saying that it has solid lifters?

Sometimes on cold startup they are particularly noisy, and this is followed by a cloud of blue smoke at the exhaust

Valve stem seals

http://www.miata.net/garage/hla/cleaning.html

You can pull them out and clean them, or chuck new ones in them.

They get gunk stuck in them, usually due to a missed oil change or two. Then they bleed down overnight and you get a mighty clatter when you first start it till oil pressure comes up. If it gets really bad it won't pump up and it'll stay noisy, at which point you clean/replace.

You can try a lifter freeing oil solution, usually a flush or additive treatment. But since the oil pretty much stays in a lifter once pumped up you don't really get any flushing action where you need it.

GP wrote:

Your engine doesn't have any. It has overhead cams

Plenty of OHC engines have hydraulic lifters, Are you saying that it has solid lifters?

Sometimes on cold startup they are particularly noisy, and this is followed by a cloud of blue smoke at the exhaust

Valve stem seals

+1 valve stem seals, possibly even a burnt valve. The cloud of oil smoke is distinctive and will not occur from lifters alone.

I have just had this terrible lifter noise hit my engine, not just on start up but all the time now.....

I bought the car 3 weeks ago and it was WEEELLLLL overdue an oil service, but didnt have noisy lifter. Did an oil change to 10w60 and now it just doesnt stop 'tapping' away!!!! Wasn't gradual, just one morning started her up and wham, there it is, wont go!!!

Might try that lifter additive stuff and maybe a different oil.... dunno...

s13deviat wrote:I have just had this terrible lifter noise hit my engine, not just on start up but all the time now.....

I bought the car 3 weeks ago and it was WEEELLLLL overdue an oil service, but didnt have noisy lifter. Did an oil change to 10w60 and now it just doesnt stop 'tapping' away!!!! Wasn't gradual, just one morning started her up and wham, there it is, wont go!!!

Might try that lifter additive stuff and maybe a different oil.... dunno...

Definitely worth a try. The engine in my track car has about 142,000ks on it, and on a couple of ocassions when it's sat idle for a month, the lifters will be a bit noisy. Usually change the oil every 3 race meetings anyway, but each time a fresh oil change has cured the lifter noise. The last time I started the car however, the lifter noise hadn't stopped after a couple of minutes so I thought they might be getting a bit sticky, so I put in some fresh oil and some Nulon Lifter Free. Started the car up, and as soon as the oil pressure came up there's was no lifter noise, just the pod filter sucking in air

Bonza! Cheers TCR, i am always a little sceptical with these additives, but it seems people have had not issues using this Nulon Lifter free stuff!

Sorry to hijack thread but any recommendations for oil... is Castrol 10w60 the right choice??

I will do an oil change AGAIN and add some Lifter Free

s13deviat wrote:Bonza! Cheers TCR, i am always a little sceptical with these additives, but it seems people have had not issues using this Nulon Lifter free stuff!

Sorry to hijack thread but any recommendations for oil... is Castrol 10w60 the right choice??

I will do an oil change AGAIN and add some Lifter Free

Depends on what you're using it for. Daily driver, weekend track warrior or dedicated track car?

Personally my car is pretty much a dedicated track car even though it's still registered, and I use the Castrol Edge 10W-60 for that extra bit of protection. I THINK the daily driver/weekend track guys use 10W-40.

TCR wrote:Depends on what you're using it for. Daily driver, weekend track warrior or dedicated track car?

Personally my car is pretty much a dedicated track car even though it's still registered, and I use the Castrol Edge 10W-60 for that extra bit of protection. I THINK the daily driver/weekend track guys use 10W-40.

I hit a case of the 'lazyies' and lack of funds so i just bought the Nulon stuff and put it in.......... IT WORKED!!!! She is quiet as a mouse again!! About 2-3 secs and it was goneski!!

See how it holds up!!

Thanks for help

Now onto next issue to fix.... this one is a pain... replacing wheel stud/bolt... fark me could Mazda make it any harder to get em out of the hub....... SHEET