Doomed engine.. possibly spun bearings? Please help. Video Attached
 

Hello, I have a 94 1.8 engine that has just started this really loud ticking noise. This is not your regular hla clicks on cold morning start up, its much much louder and will not go away after warm up or rpm changes during driving. (just gets faster as the revs climb) However, there is sometimes when it goes away for a minute or two to come back again...

After it happened yesterday, I had the oil changed just to make sure but it still ticks. (old oil had 3500 miles) What is possibly wrong with my engine? it has 145k miles fwiw...


That was the problem description as of this morning. I had to take it out to test if the oil change made any difference.


It was no different from yesterday, when I slowed down at the lights, my car started to make rattles.


I ended up leaving my car parked at my friend's driveway who lives close from where I was.

Do you guys think it may be the bottom block that is affected? Or would I be able to get away with just a head swap? I will need to open up the valve cover to see if I can find something obvious in the valvetrain.

Any tips are helpful... please help me, Thanks!

That's rod knock. You've fucked up a bearing. Keep driving it, you'll throw one out the block soon and then you won't have to disassemble it to see what's wrong.

My friend's engine after it spun a bearing at the track and was driven over 50 miles on the highway: https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-pe...revving-65043/

Sounds similar... I'd start looking for a replacement. Cut open the filter if you still have it.

Looks like everyone else agrees. Lmk if you find a motor in the us and want to ship it to my place and come get it.

You think you slammed the hood hard enough?

I am looking around for replacement engine.
I plan to boost my Miata to 180~200whp later down the road.
If I don't have money to do the full engine build. If I get a motor with good compression numbers, is it ok to just change the main and rod bearings on the donor engine and not take the head apart untill I have money to do head work? (This would mean that I am not going to touch the piston, piston rings, rod or wrist pins.

Or I shouldn't worry about bearings if the engine is in ok condition for my goals?

I have a low mile 99 engine for sale....where are you located?

For 200whp, a completely stock engine is fine.

I am in toronto ontario, and can I usually drive to buffalo ny to pick up parts.

On a completely stock motor, how much mileage is too much to safely add fi to?

dang that sucks man.... were you driving hard?

I don't think there is a correct figure to answerr your question as the health of an engine is based more on how well it was cared for more than the total number of miles driven. I have heard of many people bolting a turbo onto a 150K+ engine with success, almost as many as those who have fucked up low mile engines with a turbo....

not to thread jack, but I just had an incedent on the freeway last night with my bean. Lost almost all power, down shifting would practicaly kill the motor. Was able to get it started tonight, wanted to see what you guys think... planning to tear it down this weekend.

MVI_1507_zpsd2d3e14c.mp4 Video by Diego1000 | Photobucket