Got a call from the machine shop that was going to rebuild my head today. My motor is probably toast.
One of the lifter bores was all messed up and he found some "random bits & pieces in an oil passage. Looks like I'll be pulling the motor.

I've already spent a bunch of money on this thing and I wasn't really looking to spend too much more but oh well. I was really thinking about getting a BP4W head anyway.

So I'm looking at my options:

1. Find a used or JDM BP4W motor (anyone have a source?)

2. Get a crate BP4W from mazda competition (anyone know how much these are?)

3. Do a cheap rebuild on the bottom end & try to find a BP4W head.

4. or should I just go cheap and use a junkyard BP05 head for the rebuilt, put it back together and hope for the best. Maybe if I can find a clean, post-filter oil port hopefully I won't ruin my shiny new disco potato.

 

Number 4 is the easiest. Pull the pan and just do a visual check on the bearings (though I'd measure them if I were in there) if you're that concerned about a used engine. You can always update the head later. But there's no real reason to build the bottom end (assuming your Stage 1 clutch is an indicator of power goals).

 

I snagged a longblock from a 92 Escort GT auto w/185,000 miles on it. Pulled the motor apart and cleaned everything up, slapped it together with rebuilt cylinder head. Had some unbelievable low leakage numbers.

After 4000 miles N/A still, the leakage is a little higher than it was on the stand test, but still. I spent 100$ on the motor, and 380 to have the head fully rebuilt. Aside from being N/A still the car runs great.. Though it does blow some smoke once in a while, its nothing like my friends 210k motor.. Burns through 4 quarts of oil at one auto-x session.

 

whatever you get, make sure its JDM.