Brand new member and new to owning an mx-3. Appologies if this question has been asked before but....
Recently bought my beatiful MX-3 for £1500. It's done 75k, metallic silver V6 manual. I absolutely love it!! (Just got rid of my 3 seies BMW to get this and really glad I did!!)
Anyway, did the usual servicing - timing belt, oil & filter change, sparks, air filter etc but the car has a rattle when I start it up from cold. The bloke at the garage said it's my cam belt pulleys. Does this sound right? Can I get any lightweight pulleys to replace them and how easy is it to do? Which are the best to buy?
I'm assuming your mechanic thinks it's a ball bearing of some sort.
If you're lucky, it'll just be a bearing from an accesory pulley. Those can be pressed out and replaced fairly cheap.
If it's a timing belt pulley, not only would you have to go and redo the timing belt, but those bearings aren't easily servicable, so you'd probably end up buying completely new pulley set. Usually costs $150 for the pulley set in the U.S.
Those bearings usually don't wear out. In fact in the nearly 10 years I've owned my MX-3 I haven't seen anyone replace them.
Cam pullies are non-exhistant since our cams gears mesh together inside the valve train. A lightweight pulley wouldn't do any good because of the meshing.
As mentioned if it is the bearings just have them pressed out and replaced. I'd also consider replacing the timing pullies since you'll have to pull the timing belt to replace the cam pulley bearing anyway. The timing pullies do wear out more commonly and I'd bet it is them ratteling not the cam pullies. You can find the timing pullies on ebay form time to time and I think I saw a set just the other day. Search E-bay for mx-3 or mx(space)3 and you should see them.
Good luck with the MX-3 and welcome to the board
ZE -strait neck,headers,2.5 exhaust,pheno spacers,lower cross member,GC coils,MS struts,Brembo slotted rotors,filled MS mounts,SS brake/clutch lines, CAI,to rear bat reloc,Hella headlamps,Hella DE fogs 180WHP
Thank you very much for your help, especially Patdiesel and lakersfan 1. I'm going to try the timing pullies first and see if that solves it.
Thanks again for all your help and for the warm welcome to the board. Will keep you guys updated on how I get on.
Ps. atlantamx3 - not sure if the rattling goes away when the engine is warm. Alwaya drving on the motorway so can't really hear the sexy V6 growl at all!! What is the standard HLA ticking? Help!! Useles woman with a fast and fantastic car!!
Lornie69 wrote: I'm going to try the timing pullies first and see if that solves it.
I'd see if was the accesory pulleys first. It's the difference between an hour job, or a two day job. Take off both accesory belts and start the car. If the noise is gone, then it's an accesory pulley. Spin each pulley, including the ones on the accesories themselves. If any sound like it's got sand in it or is clicking, then that's your bad bearing.
if you need the timing belt tensioner pulley let me know, i got around 2 spare ones.
-hec
MX-3 w/ curved neck millenia klde, boosted @ 5 psi. /bov and wastegate are good!/ nitto drag radial/ gutted interior/ millenia red top injectors, vortech fmu/aem wideband/ all bolts ons/ Car put together 100% by me. Mechanic? who needs a mechanic? ew.. real men work on their own cars!
Lakersfan is right. Take the accessory belt off first and check that. It would be an aweful waste of money to replace the timing pullies if they are not the problem.
Secondly, you can't be too useless. The MX-3 is a great car and only intelligent people seem to know that...
HLA ticking sounds like a flap of metal on a wheel running over something again and again. (if that makes sense) It is not bad, most Mazda V6s do it.
ZE -strait neck,headers,2.5 exhaust,pheno spacers,lower cross member,GC coils,MS struts,Brembo slotted rotors,filled MS mounts,SS brake/clutch lines, CAI,to rear bat reloc,Hella headlamps,Hella DE fogs 180WHP
Lornie69 wrote:Thank you very much for your help, especially Patdiesel and lakersfan 1. I'm going to try the timing pullies first and see if that solves it.
Thanks again for all your help and for the warm welcome to the board. Will keep you guys updated on how I get on.
Ps. atlantamx3 - not sure if the rattling goes away when the engine is warm. Alwaya drving on the motorway so can't really hear the sexy V6 growl at all!! What is the standard HLA ticking? Help!! Useles woman with a fast and fantastic car!!
WHOA STOP QUICK...My crank pullly just went a week ago LOL, It starts with a slick sqeeking noise and ends up firing like a missle...luckily mine went forward and under front bumper and then accross 3 lanes then impacting the centre curb, flew about 10 feet in air over a honda(damb, I missed) and then accross another three lanes into a field. AWSOME 007 action!!!! anyways it could have caused some serious damage though. Take the front passenger tire off and start car. Get up close to the crank pully...the one where the two excessory belts attach too, and make sure it is coming from there. If it is then replace it. What happens is the rubber seal between the spindle and grooved piece that belt goes on seperate and the metal snaps and shoots out. Hope to see you on the road soon
If at first you don't succeed....it never happened
94 mx3 GS w/ KLZE, KL31 ECU, clutchmaster stage 3, cross drilled rotors, Custom ram air intake, Custom exhaust, Toyo tires, 250LPH fuel pump, Modified Distributor, Upgraded Wiring etc, external HEI, Full Body Drift kit and freshly painted Grey. Interior neon accents and much more in progress
MX3 GSR for dummies wrote: WHOA STOP QUICK...My crank pullly just went a week ago LOL, It starts with a slick sqeeking noise and ends up firing like a missle...luckily mine went forward and under front bumper and then accross 3 lanes then impacting the centre curb, flew about 10 feet in air over a honda(damb, I missed) and then accross another three lanes into a field. AWSOME 007 action!!!!
The headline would have read: Honda Gets Hit By Flying Mazda Crank Pully.
Stock 92 MX-3 GS 93 MX-3 GS KLZE 98 BMW 328IS
81 Trans AM NASCAR Pace Car
80 Trans Am INDY Pace Car www.MyMX3.com Domain For Sale! My Feedback File
I think the techs that "just replaced" the timing belt would have noticed if the crank pulley was seperating at the harmonic balancer....
I'd go with what was said and maybe ask them to check that the crank pulley is not coming apart. However, you had better trust your mechanic before you start asking if parts are bad. It would be pretty easy to say "yes it is" when it is just fine and make a few dollars off selling you a new one.
ZE -strait neck,headers,2.5 exhaust,pheno spacers,lower cross member,GC coils,MS struts,Brembo slotted rotors,filled MS mounts,SS brake/clutch lines, CAI,to rear bat reloc,Hella headlamps,Hella DE fogs 180WHP
MX3 GSR for dummies wrote:Even a crank pully can pass a Honda.
some more.
You mean a "Mazda" crank pully. Right?
A Mazda without a crank pully that is coasting and just ran out of gas.....okay maybe I'm getting carried away here....it might need the crank pully just so you can have your ultinator working so you can blast "fly like an eagle" on your sound system as you pass
If at first you don't succeed....it never happened
94 mx3 GS w/ KLZE, KL31 ECU, clutchmaster stage 3, cross drilled rotors, Custom ram air intake, Custom exhaust, Toyo tires, 250LPH fuel pump, Modified Distributor, Upgraded Wiring etc, external HEI, Full Body Drift kit and freshly painted Grey. Interior neon accents and much more in progress