Mike LaBranche

This poor 80 5speed has been through the ringer lately. Complete neglect on my part. Shredded a t-belt which is all we replaced after a flat bed to a local shop. Figured I'd go back in and do the rest soon, have the parts in a box. More pressing was the haft shafts. They were toast. So, rebuilt axle shafts (hate that job), cap/rotor, thermostat, O2 sensor, oil/filter, she was running pretty well.

Then a small 'clack' started on the passenger bank, typical dirty lifter clack. Figured it would disappear after a couple heat cycles, as usual, but no. My theory was the thermostat was shot and it never got up to operating temp, fresh thermo, couple cycles, all better.

But it has persisted. Can a lifter actually fail completely? Added Rislone a few days ago, no joy. Otherwise, this clack has to be t-belt related, but I've never heard this from the front end. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Mrmerlin

any clacking should include a check and removal of the both cam gears to see if they are rocking back and forth on the woodruf key.
I would not run the engine until this check has been done.
as you risk the cams being damaged beyond repair.

If this is happening,
buy new cam gears and new cam pulley bolts the the 30mm washers.
I like to put some 660 loctite on the cam gear to cam this will take up clearance,
put a note to use heat to remove the gear for the next mechanic

Mike LaBranche

Thanks for the response, Stan. Pretty sure these cam gears haven't moved since they were installed, but... a new belt is bound to reveal worn components. I'm thinking it's the w/p, a roller or the tensioner. Just odd. Going to see my local shop for diagnosis tomorrow. Still... can a lifter fail outright?

Mrmerlin

a rocking cam pulley will sound like a lifter and it will be hard to tell if its rocking until the cam gear is removed and the woodruff key and keyway are inspected.
SRSLY dont run the engine till you remove the cam pulleys.
I have had to fix 3 cars that had a similar noise,
My 85 Euro Swiss car had this same noise and i am lucky to have found it before it failed.
NOTE the cam pulley will split like a piece of pie from the keyway out,
and the belt will get tighter and usually snap off the driverside cam snout.

Mike LaBranche

Thanks, Stan. That sounds pretty plausible. Changing just the belt was bound to reveal any wear and tear. Will let you know what I find when I get in there.

jwillman

When I first got my 79 it spent several months in the driveway having years of neglected maintenance completed. Once I finally got it to start I had very loud clacking lifters and the clacking would return after the engine was hot and at extended idle. After much reading and allot of folks reporting that the noise should resolve with some running time I read about folks using Swepco 502. Roger sells it which was endorsement enough for me.

I added a bottle to the oil and within minutes the valve clacking was gone even at hot idle where it had sometimes been returning. I have used a bottle with each oil change for the last several years and even after weeks of not starting the car over the last 18 months I have no lifter clacking.

Mike LaBranche

Update on the clack... it's definitely a lifter. Took it to a shop I've used a few times, stethoscope says it's passenger bank, next to last cylinder. Gave it a bottle of Rislone, then a bottle of Seafoam... probably not enough miles to make a difference at this point (~100 miles). So 40 year Porsche mechanic says.... 'you gotta get the gunk out.' Recommended a couple hundred hard miles and some Swepco 5xx. Bummer... have to drive the p*ss out of it. I think I can do that.

Meanwhile my 79 just came back from him for a complete clutch job. I had done the disks about 6 months ago. The pressure plate basically came apart a couple weeks ago, left with maybe 6 splines, everything was worn. 928 International hooked me up a complete, fresh clutch pack except for the intermediate plate (not available). Clutch is now like butter... and the FD has cleared up so the BWHAAAA seems to have returned to this beast.

Cheers!

jpitman2

Miata lifter noise fix is to idle a while on 50-50 ATF and Kero. Idle ONLY! FWIW the cam gears are located on FEATHER or spline keys(parallel sided, square section, maybe round ends), NOT Woodruff keys . The oil pump gear is located by a woodruff key. At least on my car anyway.
jp 83 Euro S AT 57k

Strosek Ultra

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...6v-1978-a.html

Mike LaBranche

Man, I can't catch a break. White guy sh*t the bed on the way home with a ps pump pully for a rebuilt pump on the red guy. Had to take the old pump to a shop, none of my pullers would fit. On the way home white guy starts losing power, won't rev, until finally side of road no start. Thought I might have run it out of fuel. AAA arrives, we add fuel, no joy. Flatbed ride home. Jumpered fp relay, no joy. No clue wtf at this point.

Meanwhile, I'm one bolt away from completing ps pump replacement on red guy, top alternator bolt won't engage in evidently fubared threads. Replacing ps pump bracket as well since it was broken. Bah. So I'm going to run a tap through it manana. At 9:28. I need all the help I can get at this point. lolz

Geez, I love these beasts... but they do try your patience.

Cheers!

Ladybug83

Be carful with that alternator bolt, it's tricky to get lined up, took me forever once to get it started, but once lined up correctly, went in like butter.

Mike LaBranche

Well I'm pretty sure the bolt pulled loose from the threads, the ps bracket had broken between the two mounting bolts, not sure if I can just chase the threads or need something like a helicoil.

Meanwhile, white guy lives! Bad coil wire, came apart at the boot on the coil end. The coil cover was cockeyed and probably led to it's demise.

Cheers!