what does an ou-of-spec solid lifter sound like? v.I'm a Down's survivor
 

I have a weird noise around the intake side on 3# that sounds like HLA noise, but more like tapping with a hammer, almost like a diesel. I listened around with a long socket extension and cannot isolate the noise...which tells me its valvetrain.

Thoughts?

How does a solid lifter malfunction?

Unless you have ejaculated the shim altogether I'm not entirely sure what could malfunction with a solid lifter. Pop the valve cover off and take a peek. If all looks well then start pressing the lifters to feel for a sticky one.

Edit: damn joe beat me to it!

out-of-spec. Sorry.

might be a spun bearing, and its the piston hitting/tapping the head.

Pray to the miata gods its not

It only does it at idle and can only be heard when the hood is up. Don't scare the shit out of me, I do not appreciate it.

Only time I've heard that is with low oil, so it's not getting to the HLA's, which obviously you do not have. The other other time I've heard it is with a spun crank bearing, where the oil hole was hitting the damaged part every revolution. That could be heard everywhere fairly noticeably, where as the HLA noise went away with higher rpms, as the pump would spin faster and get oil up there. Check the obvious, then start tearing shit apart.

I'm with the duck-man on this one. Pull the VC and take a look while rotating the engine. Any excessive clearances?

bye bye turbo miata, hello all motor terror.

Going for a beer, I can't deal with this shit. Thanks for the help.

Tell your sister she can pick up her stuff this evening.

Apart from low comp and mad turbo I'm not familiar with your build. What have you done to the head if anything? I'm thinking possibly a sticky valve.

Edit: even if it is just an out of spec shim you have to ask yourself why it's suddenly out of spec. The Valve seat wearing is about the only thing that I can think of that would change the shim requirements

poor guy, didnt drink last night?

The head just got new seals and shimmer by a ro. It's always made this noise but I chose to worry about it this day. I think it's fine and I'm just paranoid.

I have heard the same noise from other 4W heads (similar to a noisy hydraulic lifter in tone and volume, from the center area of the head, hear it at idle). This includes my own head. I head the noise when I bought the car--bought it anyway, and have driven it 7 thousand miles now. Car has fine compression and leak down, so I don't let it bother me.

My BP4W head had the same thing. Really light, only at idle.

Sounding more and more like it's idiopathic

It's way to fast t have a long rod. ;)

If you weren't such a phenomenal technical resoursce I would e-thug you into submission. You've been warned...

Probably sounds a lot like your non stop bitching and complaining. Go n/a or shut your trap!

Thank your lucky fucking dwarf star that I'm on an iPhone and drunk enough that I don't have the dexterity to type out a longwinded description Oh duck it.