14 replies to this topic

[jaje]

Question 1: Can you remove the #1 piston to change rings without removing the crankshaft? This is unrelated to my SM car but a friend asked me if anyone know you could do this.

and

Question 2: Sticking liftters. I just got my engine rebuilt and it ticks at the top of the engine. It has good oil pressure > 60 psi and up to 80 psi at startup. I ran the car for 10 mins hoping it would remedy itself and drove it around the neigborhood for a little bit at low revs to run in the engine. But it was still sticking when I got back. Is this a concern or is there some procedure I need to do. The head was gone through by a shop and reassembled properly.

Link to video in my blog post: http://conflictedrac...miata-progress/

[Mike Collins]

1. yes you can but why would you?

2. Let it run longer...A lot longer.

[davecarama]

Hmm... I took the pistons out before I took the crank out. So the answer to #1 is yes.

As for #2. If the shop did the head... You should assume they did it correct (for now). I have found just letting the car run for a while won't do the trick. You need to drive it or let it sit and run for a longer period of time. If you drive it around, or let it sit and run for a while and it does not lube the lifters. You may want to check things out. But lifters are fairly easy, and you should be able to do that on your own.

DC

[Vicktor Volpe]

My engine always ticks when I first change the oil......it's unsettling but it goes away. It's the standard 1.6L sewing machine sound I think.

[Moose & Squirrel]

In my experience lifters tick more with that fancy schmancy synthetic oil vs. plain old dino oil.

[jaje]

Thanks for the answers. Very helpful!

As for Q1 - buddy of mine wanted to know if he can put new rings in the #1 piston quickly and cheaply for a 200k mile street miata where the owner can't afford to pay for much or even rebuild the engine (they did a leak down and the rings on it are bad so he's very low on compression. Yeah I know it sounds like a terrible idea.

As for Q2 - I still have the break in oil in it - castrol GTX and want to get some miles on it driving it around to break it in (not sure of break in procedures). I'll then switch to a synthetic race oil (amsoil or redline). I'm hoping after running it for an extended period it goes away. I understand these are loud ticking motors anyway but when in the car you shouldn't hear it.

[Vicktor Volpe]

For break in, I was told go run the snot out of it first thing, and that makes everything seat itself. I did it at a DE, and shifted at 6900 RPM instead of 7100. The individual who put the motor in had already run it on a dyno though.

Note once we broke in a motor at a 12 hour enduro.....don't know if that was recommended procedure.

Maybe ask the guy who built it?

[john mueller]

Mine tick like a metronome all the time, even the newly rebuilt.

[Ron Alan]

Just watched a fresh build start up the other day...sounded like crap with the fresh lifters that hadn't pumped full of oil. Owner got it to temp then held the throttle cable for about 5+ minutes at 3000-3500rpms. Purred like a kitten when he stopped...no lifter noise!! Not sure if this was lucky or this is how you do it...but he said it was and proved himself correct!

[Jim Boemler]

Fine for the lifters, but not great for the rest of the motor. A track session would have been better.

[FTodaro]

I am not sure if your car has hydraulic lifters or solid but mine has solid. Good advice on the new rebuild is to not let it sit and irun at low rpm, but to let it run at 1500 to 2000 so that the motor gets good lubrication and oil pressure. If you have hydraulic lifters could have one that is just not pumping up, if its solid you can check the cam/valve clearance to see if it’s in spec, those numbers and how to are in you Miata manual.

On the break in oil, it’s cheap, I change it after the first 30 min of engine operation and cut the filter to make sure it’s all good, then fresh oil and the next step of you motor builders break in procedure.

[wreckerboy]

The ticking noise is normal and the amount seems to vary from car to car. On the original engine there were two scenarios that caused it to tick - leaving it shut off for more than three days (the lifters had a chance to drain down) or loading it on the trailer (we think it didn't like the nearly 24 inches of altitude). On the current Meathead built motor it does not tick at all. Ever. It's been sitting in the shop since Thanksgiving and if I go out and start it I can guarantee there will be no ticking. I have no idea why.

The solution has always been the same - run it gently to get it warmed up and the oil moving, and then beat the ever loving !@#$% out of it for a while. Noise gone.

[joeg5982]

How are you going to hone Cyl #1??

You will not do much by simply putting new rings on a piston and not at least breaking the glaze on the cylinder wall.

[jaje]

joeg5982, on 02-23-2012 07:32 AM, said:

How are you going to hone Cyl #1??

You will not do much by simply putting new rings on a piston and not at least breaking the glaze on the cylinder wall.

I'm not doing it but a buddy of mine who is trying to fix a motor with low compression in the #1 cylinder due to bad rings. I don't think they will hone, just put in new rings. It is a cheapo job to mitigate a small problem but not cure it completely.

[Qik Nip]

I would suggest the best low cost to your friend's problem is to find a cheap used 1.6 engine and just do the swap. The new gaskets and rings will cost more than a donor 1.6 and will probably deliver a lot less value IMHO. I know where a $100 motor is sitting in central Ky. I bet there's one near KS too if you fire up Craig's List.
Rick