NA8 tappet noise, which oil?

jorgan92 · Postby **jorgan92** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:07 am

Hey guys,

I'm looking at an NA8 on Monday that I wish to buy, only thing stopping me is it has bloody loud lifters!

Im getting the car checked out mechanically on Monday, and I have cleared it with the owner to change the oil to see if it fixes the problem. Ive read things about going up in weights if its when cold and down in weights if its when its hot, problem is its all the time! Cars sitting on 200,000km's Can any one recommend any particular oil? Ive read how people can try 5 or 6 oil/filter combinations before fixing the problem, just trying to see if I can do it an easier way......

Also is there anything else I should be looking at mechanically at 200,000? he said major service was done at 180,000 so Ill make sure that's been done, anything else?

Cheers,
Jordan.

Charlie Brown · Postby **Charlie Brown** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:51 am

This is a common complaint by NA MX-5 owners.

I found that when the noise occured it was time to change the oil and filter. You must change the filter. The type of filter made no difference.

Use a good quality synthetic oil, 5W30 or 5W40. Going heavier wont help.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:04 am

Changing oil will only help if the oil being used is incorrect.

Other factors like dirty block holes or worn insides can cause the noise also.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:10 am

Check this out http://www.miata.net/garage/garageengine.html

If you get the car checked out properly it should identify shortcomings.

PS projectr makes sense.

Postby **NitroDann** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:47 am

There has to be 500 of this thread across the internet.

4 answers.

1-Oil is wrong grade, change to correct grade-super unlikely.

2- Lifters are filthy and have blocked ports, remove them, disassemble them and clean them, or (3)run an engine oil flush and hope for the best.

4- Lifters are buggered, replace them.

Want to know the best answer? Just buy new ones and replace them. They all tick its just what old HLAs do. i would do an oil flush, run it idling for 20-30 mins with the flush in it. Then oil change to good oil. If its not fixed just replace them.

Dann

16bit · Postby **16bit** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:53 am

would that upper engine cleaner stuff work? or is that in the combustion chamber?

Postby **NitroDann** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:16 am

combustion chamber

Dann

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:19 am

NitroDann wrote:4- Lifters are buggered, replace them.

That's where my NA8 is at after 197,000kms. No amount of oil changing, cleaning or magic additives is going to alter the fact that they're rooted. I have a backup set from another car with similar Ks and they're all rooted too.
Cheapest price I can find for new ones so far is $25 each. That's why I'm exploring cheapo ways to do a solid lifter conversion. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=49685

jorgan92 · Postby **jorgan92** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:56 pm

:[ may give the car a miss can't afford to buy it and then do lifters straight off.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:55 pm

Just say to the owner, lifters are shot, going to cost x amount to fix and see if they will take it off the price.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

jorgan92 · Postby **jorgan92** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:32 pm

This is true, also found lifters really cheap through work :]

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:58 pm

jorgan92 wrote:Also is there anything else I should be looking at mechanically at 200,000? He said major service was done at 180,000 so Ill make sure that's been done, anything else?

Given car at 200k kms make sure the timing belt & waterpump were replaced at the said major service undertaken at 180k kms. Look for proof that this was done as not everyone does it, even though they say the major service was done. Timing belt & waterpump, because it's more practical to do the waterpump when replacing the timing belt, should be replaced every 100k kms.

What to look for when buying an MX5:
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=18802
http://www.miata.net/faq/inspection_list.html

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:09 pm

you buy car withhigh KM's on it and it will not be perfect. If the engine rattles from tappets it can be deferred but sooner or later the car requires maintenance- its not a disaster. Even water pumps and timing belts- often no guarantees what has been done but vehicles generally keep going. Some folks just replace the pump if it leaks.

jorgan92 · Postby **jorgan92** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:36 pm

Yer the guy said he replaced them when he bought it at 160 or 180 because he didn't have a service history I'll get the mechanic to check that out too. But it's my dream car in the color i wanted since i was 13 so I'm happy to persist a bit. I rebuilt the head in my car but would like to avoid that I'm buying this car a for a daily....

94 clubman perth · Postby **94 clubman perth** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:14 pm

Hmmm, I don't agree that the HLAs are stuffed just because of the mileage and the fact they r noisy. I got my na8 at 207000 Kms and the HLAs rattled like a tractor. A service history showed complaints of lifter noise from about 40,000 Km. I did an engine flush (i think it involved auto trans fluid !) this fixed about 80% of rattles . A few Thousand kms later i was doing the cam belt amd pulled them out and cleaned them (not a big job if u do it the same time as a cam belt change). This fixed about 95% of the noise. Since then I use nulon lifter free (I think that's what it called) and find that after about 5000kms they start getting noisy again. Change the oil, more lifer free and problem solved for another 5000kms or so. If its your dream car definately try to bargain them down using noisy lifters as leverage, then do a cheap engine flush and lifter free treatment, it's cheap and worked for me and may save u some $$$$$