major top end rattling

[SuperMazdaKart]

can anyone host a small vid file I took with my mobile phone?

started happening after todays SA cruise, bout 15 minutes after all the high speed prolonged high rpm driving when i nearly got home around my suburbs where i drive rather normally.

seems to be coming from the top of the engine so i think probably HLAs somehow got a major clog? seems to of dissappeared a bit closer to home. about twice there was a large delay in power when accelerating from a stop though.

has me a bit concerned actually.

[SuperMazdaKart]

got a host.

http://users.tpg.com.au/vu_vuong//HLA_crap.mpg

2.44mb

[Sheck]

sounds like you killed your oil, does it sound better now that its cooled down??
While drifting i killed my oil and had a similar sounding rattle, after it cooled down the sound went away, i changed it the next morning - end of story.

Otherwise check none of your belts have frayed and are hitting anything, of if you have a short nose crank check that.

Dave

[SuperMazdaKart]

i drove it later the day after about 30 minutes off being turned off in the driveway. sound is still around, just not nearly as bad as what the recording shows when it had started. don't think i noticed anything with the SNC but might have to relook at that later tonight.

if it was due to oil overheating this all would have happened sooner during the spirited driving instead of afterwards at normal driving though?

[fattima]

Hard to say from the vid but I would be changing the oil, I had some lifter noise after (not as bad as that) and changing oil fixed the problem. For a cheap oil I have found Castrol Magnatec OK for lifter noise.

if it was due to oil overheating this all would have happened sooner during the spirited driving instead of afterwards at normal driving though?

You would expect so but my problems showed up after a track day.

[SuperMazdaKart]

spose it's good i happen to have a new bottle of Nulon sythetic oil that was waiting to go in.. be a shame to waste it though if it turns out not to fix it will see soon enough, hopefully it does work otherwise i might be getting a replacement engine even sooner then i thought.

[SuperMazdaKart]

what can i say...

the power of 1.6 litres has been unleashed too many times.

i so need to win the lottery...

[JBT]

Sorry, but the noise sounds a bit more serious than a collapsed lifter. Difficult to tell from a sound recording though.

[Benny]

That sounds dreadful!!

I'd be getting the head off ASAP to have a look.
Definitely sounds like something has broken.

[irwin83r]

change the oil and check it for odd contaminates/metal particles and the filter.

also pop the valve cover off and have a gander.

[Jaxom_2]

Hi Vu, what's the word on your motor? Any good news?

[SuperMazdaKart]

waiting for the weekend to do an oil change & see if i can find out anything else. i'll probably have a flexi day off work next week to visit some mechanics. worst comes to worst, replacement engine time. maybe even the NB6 engine to go in.

or maybe my dad can use his tofu shop contacts to find me a high revving racing version of the mazda B series engine (Initial D joke so you probably won't get it )

after engine issue is fixed i'm going to limit spendings on it & save up for an SE. i can't always be the underdog of the Adelaide group the 1.6L can barely keep up when the others put the foot.

[manga_blue]

Nasty, Vu. That's beyond an oil change. Get the cam cover off and check for dropped valve collets or broken springs.

If that noise develops into a louder deeper knock when you blip the throttle then you'd suspect it's coming from a big end. Either a big end bolt is broken or stretched or a big end bearing is in very bad shape. A sharp knock at the top at the same time says there's so much play at the bottom that the piston is tapping the head. Those are symptons of oil starvation or oil failure (age, overheating or low quality oil).

[SuperMazdaKart]

well, like i've written before it doesn't sound as bad as the recording anymore. so it's gotten better, but not like it was beforehand. reason for oil change is mainly to see if theres anything in the drainage & on the magnet sump plug & bits in the filter, might just put the same oil back in afterwards. not holding high hopes for this B6 though. it's done alright to last this long.

SMK: go go little 1.6! you can do it!
B6: ahh p*ss off

it just all kinda leaves me in a dilemma. fix up the NA6, save up for SE then sell NA6. or fix up NA6, sell now, buy this 93 Familia GTR. certainly a lot cheaper then an SE, goes much faster & handles pretty well in it's own right.



always have loved the GTX/GTRs & i almost bought one instead of the NA6 but was just financially out of reach at the time. but also love MX-5s too now, can't have both...

[SuperMazdaKart]

it'll be replacement engine time. noise has reduced a lot but theres still some tapping that won't go away & i have no confidence in it to last so will be changing to hopefully an NB6 engine for peace of mind.

no odd seeable metal contaminates in the drained oil, oil filter (was empty of oil when removed, so much for the Valvoline quality anti-drain back valve) or on the magnetic sump plug. didn't bother to open the valve cover. still smokes on a cold start, http://users.tpg.com.au/vu_vuong//smokin5.mpg, this is from a while back but hasn't changed.

spose i'd better sell of a few more MX-5 things to help cover the costs..