crap crap crap... maybe
 

So I was persuing the targa miata site looking at how he mounted his brake proportioning valve on the tranny tunnel and ran into this:

Targa Miata

So I start thinking, did I do this? Falk, I put the head on a couple months ago and don't remember seeing that oil passage! carp!

Engine is in the car now and pretty close to being started. To confirm whether I put the head gasket on right I was thinking of taking the valve cover off and turning over the engine (no gas/spark) to see if oil flows in the head. Do you think I'll be able to see oil flowing through the cam bearings?

If you reasembled the motor with alot of lube then turning it over for a bit is not gonna hurt it. Second part of the question is yes. When turning the engine over There should be oil flooding in the head and all around there, oil should be filling the pockets in the head and under the cams. Just make sure you got enough oil and it builds pressure fairly quick i.e. turn key to start and oil pressure goes up or light goes out within 15 seconds. This ensures that there is oil in sump, pump is moving oil, fill all oil galleys, and filled the oil filter. if you dont get oil in the head 10 seconds after the oil pressure is up or oil pressure light goes out then you may have a problem with the head gasket install.

its safe to say that my car wouldn't run for very long with an error like this...right?

Targa Miata

I like this idea.

Well, what happened?

Haven't gotten to the testing point yet... Just got my diff back last week (3.6 R&P) and got that installed. Today the PPF goes back on, fluid in the tranny and rear, shorten the turbo oil return (too long, rubs on the frame) and then finally, put some oil in the engine and give it a test....

I've discovered that I'm trying to do too much at once. Over the past several months I've installed everything from door bars to forged rods, oil temp gauge to six speed tranny. I get the car up on jackstands and figure, while I'm doing this I might as well do that.... New radiator, clutch slave and line, custom center console, GV lip, hood extractor, the list goes on.... Should be great when I'm done but it just is gonna take a while.

update
 

All is well. Took off the valve cover and after about 20 seconds of cranking the oil pressure came up and the head started gushing with oil, filling the lifters, etc. whew!

Plan for today is to sort out the rest of the wiring on the passenger side of the engine, route the fuel lines to the new rail, fix the link (no display on the keypad, maybe a solder joint?) and I'll be ready to fire this bitch up! yeah

Sweet, I'm glad the gasket was right. That would of sucked.

I would be cool if when you finish, you could make a thread on how you like the 3.63 gears, pro's and negatives. Good luck!

+1

did that too. took me 6 months. fortunately no giant issues. take your time, double check everything, and if possible take pics o everything at every stage. That way you can go back and refer if you come on something like this again. I couldn't remember if I had put my clutch disk on facing the right way. Fortunately I just had to take off the pressure plate, the tranny wasn't on yet.

will do

Good to hear it worked out well for you. Ive been having a NIGHTMARE with my head gasket for the last several months. Gone through 4... and still no go. Id also like to hear about the 3.6 gears. I plan to go with them down the road with a 6 speed, and probably for a while on the 5 speed.

never a f'ing dull moment
 

so I started the car up, ran like a champ, checked for leaks.... The effing nipple on the back of the head where the heater core pipes on is leaking, not at the hose but actually where the brass nipple is pressed into the head. I got this head from clearwater heads and should have done the work myself. Is not a huge leak but big enough. I am going to try and put some jbweld around it and hope it seals, otherwise the damn head has to come off! I know this piece is removable, has anyone ever replaced one?

update pic
 

Leak comes from here

updated
 

Well, I spent a while last night trying to figure out a way to fix this problem. The coolant is seeping around the pressed in fitting. I has hoping to pull out the fitting, plug it, and then use the bolt above it (just a plug) to feed the oil cooler. Was going to mill a hole through the bolt and attach a barb to the outside.

Unfortunately there's not enough room to work on it in the car. Damn!!! I've spent too much time and $$ on this engine to half-ass it now though so... I'm taking the head off and doing it right. Gonna be a pain in the ass but it needs to be done. Engine sounds frickin sweet though especially with only the downpipe attached! :) I'm definitely going to run a straight pipe.

For sure dont half ass it now after coming this far, Im worlds worst about doing that (or used to be, I think Ive learned my lesson). Nipple probably got bumped on something and loosened it up. Hope you get it fixed and going again soon. Nothing worse than having the car almost where you want it, but having one little issue holding you down.

do it right.

I feel you on being so close...I did it for like 8 months.

Yeah, I'm not gonna f it up now. I think I'm going to drop the tranny instead of pulling the head. Gives me all the access I need and I don't have to tear down the top of the engine. XMAS time though and I can't sneak out to the garage without getting feedback so... might be sitting for a few weeks. damn! :)

you're going to drop the f'ing tranny?!? whats wrong with you! thats 10 times worse then pulling the head. just pull it with the intake mani and exhaust mani still on, all you have to do is pull the valve cover and head bolts. besides, once you drop the tranny, you might just find out you still don't have quite enough room or worse yet the proper solution will end up requiring you to pull the head anyways.

I know it wastes a head gasket, but please, just take the head off.

I agree, I would MUCH rather pull the head than the trans. I can pull a head in probably an hour, then again Im fresh with it, since Ive done it 4 or 5 times in a few months. I would hate pulling the trans, and having to lay under the car and work on the rear of the head. That would be like pulling the fuel tank, and working through the panel to install your rear deck carpet wouldnt it? :giggle:

I don't know guys. Pulling the head isn't quite that simple. Hoses, wires, timing belt, turbo. more to it than just taking the valve cover off and taking out the head bolts.

Then leave the intake and ehaust manifold, and turbo on the head, and just undo the wiring and hoses. Pull the radiator, since its easy to pull and will give you more room to work on the timing belt. Remove valve cover, timing belt covers, slip timing belt off the cams. Only have about 5 or 6 hoses to remove, and wiring Im not sure, on the 1.8 NA's, maybe only 7 or 8, which none of which are all that hard to get to.

I just cant see pulling the trans to fix something on he back of the head. What if you go through all of that and still dont have enough room. Plus it may end up being something a shop will have to do, and you would have to pull the head anyway.

just un bolt it and hook it up to an engine lift, the wires and hoses will come off by themselves, trust me.

does everyone run the timing belt cover gaskets? I seem to get a drop of oil on mine and they expand like crazy, getting awfully close to the alternator belt. Seems like with so many people running adjustable cam gears and cutting their valve covers for them, it would make the belt cover gaskets obsolete, true?

If your going to run the covers, why wouldnt you also run the seals on the cover? Unless they are broken or missing or something. Mine still look like new at 110k miles. I dont like having the tb exposed, too much junk to fall down in there and break a belt. Same with people that run turbos with no filter. Unless its a track only car, I cant understand that logic. I would have all kinds of cedar needles and dirt inside my engine.

if I had put the headgasket on wrong, would I have made it 400miles? I have really high oil pressure...and not sure why. I'm also ultra paranoid. I guess I just have to pull the head off and find out.

I'm going to be pissed if this car blows up on the dyno.

Just open the oil fill cap and look in there while it's running. If you see oil you are cool.

suckativity index continues to rise
 

So.... It appears as though the leak is not coming from the aforementioned nipple but in fact is seeping from between the head and the block on the back of the engine. I had the engine machined but the head came from Clearwater heads in Florida... something ain't right.... I checked the head torque and it's fine. Either something is warped or... who the fuck knows....

Found it!!!
 

Finally figured it out. Got the head off, everything is flat as a board. 1-1.5 thousand off which is great. After looking at pictures on the web for hours I noticed two protrusions that stick up out of the block where two of the head studs go in. Fucking bushings!! I looked at my reference pics and when I originally took off the head for the rebuild the bushings pulled out of the block and went with the head to the machine shop. Got the head back and no bushings and I never noticed it. Just ordered two bushings for $1.48 each from mazdaspeed along with a new head gasket. A lot of re-do work but I feel better about it now. I'm thinking those two bushings both located the head gasket and maybe seal the coolant passage.

Im also waiting on alignment dowels for my head/block. Last times I installed my head, one of them were pushed all the way into the head and wasnt doing its job. I think not having any dowels at all could cuase an issue with passages not lining up, and possibly a leak. They are there for a reason after all.

They don't appear anywhere in my mazda manual. Are they just pressed in dry or do they need retaining compound?