Replacing Valve lifters

Author
Discussion

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Hi all, recently purchased a 98' model that had a lifter rattle at 2.5k rpm. Car still drives well so I added an oil treatment to see if it would free up the hydraulic lifters. It has improved the situation but I've gone all in and decided to replace the whole lot.

While I'm doing this I will also do the timing belt and tensioners etc, I am a fairly capable motor engineer so this is no big deal, what I'm wondering is whether to go the whole hog and do the water pump and crank/cam seals at the same time? Is the water pump a major issue? It seems fine at the moment.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.....

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

218 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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98 model doesn't have hydraulic lifters. Buckets & shims.

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
OK, thanks for that, so how do you explain a rattle at certain rpm? Surely if it was shims it would be constant? Car drives sweet apart from the 2500 rpm rattle!

Gad-Westy

14,520 posts

212 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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Are you certain it's an internal engine rattle and not something like the manifold heat shield or a bracket or something around that area?

The lifters can be removed, stripped, cleaned, filled with fresh oil and put back in. Looks relatively straight forward if a little time consuming.

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

218 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
quotequote all
As above Gad-Westy - Mk2 onwards doesn't have hydraulic lifters.
I think you might be right about the rattle being elsewhere, such as a heat shield though.

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
It's a cam noise, rattle/rumble from the top end. Have tried to strip engine today but only succeeded in smashing my arms trying to undo the crankshaft bolt. Have put it back together and will be driving the piece of st to the scrapyard asap.

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Really confused by the community that own MX5's, people tell you that my car doesn't have hydraulic valve lifters yet will sell you replacements. Lesson learnt in my case, expensive lesson too!

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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I'm sure it's not a MX5 thing. In my experience the MX5 community is generally very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

Gad-Westy

14,520 posts

212 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
MX-5 Lazza said:
As above Gad-Westy - Mk2 onwards doesn't have hydraulic lifters.
I think you might be right about the rattle being elsewhere, such as a heat shield though.
I assumed 1998 = mk1, No? I had a 1998 mk1 1.8 and I'm sure that had hydraulic lifters but could be wrong. Or is the assumption that this is a very early mk2 and mk2's don't have hydraulic lifters? If that's the case I can see why there is some confusion around this on a 1998 car as it could presumably be either.

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
Gad-Westy said:
MX-5 Lazza said:
As above Gad-Westy - Mk2 onwards doesn't have hydraulic lifters.
I think you might be right about the rattle being elsewhere, such as a heat shield though.
I assumed 1998 = mk1, No? I had a 1998 mk1 1.8 and I'm sure that had hydraulic lifters but could be wrong. Or is the assumption that this is a very early mk2 and mk2's don't have hydraulic lifters? If that's the case I can see why there is some confusion around this on a 1998 car as it could presumably be either.
Doing a quick search on Autotrader for 1998 returns both mk1s and mk2s.

FastDagda, does your car have pop up headlights?

Gad-Westy

14,520 posts

212 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
VladD said:
Doing a quick search on Autotrader for 1998 returns both mk1s and mk2s.

FastDagda, does your car have pop up headlights?
So could presumably be hydraulic or buckets.

Still doubt that it's a lifter issue though.

Rattles at certain rpm's tend to be resonant effects where generally things that are fairly static start to move when excited by certain frequencies rather than stuff that is normally moving/rotating anyway. So if it's not an external shield or bracket working loose, the next thing to do would be to remove the cam cover and check nothing has worked loose in there or maybe even a loose spark plug (I've seen that before).

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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It's a MK2

227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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FastDagda said:
I am a fairly capable motor engineer so this is no big deal
Really?

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

218 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Mk2 came in very early '98. The last 2 Mk1 editions were the Classic & Berkeley, both of which were sold in Jan/Feb, plus a few run-out standard models.

FastDagda

Original Poster:

18 posts

84 months

Friday 31st March 2017
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227bhp said:
Really?
Yes really, may have thrown a wobbly after having a bad day but all sorted now!

Gad-Westy

14,520 posts

212 months

Friday 31st March 2017
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FastDagda said:
Yes really, may have thrown a wobbly after having a bad day but all sorted now!
Good to hear. What was it in the end?