). Also, I suck at the terminology, so please correct me if I use an odd or wrong name for a part.Read this through in its entirety before starting. Like anything else. The pictures are all of my SOHC, your engine may look different, but it is the same method! Does someone nice want to take matching pictures of their DOHC for me? That would be very helpful of them
Later I link you to the assembly section of your online manual. Check over that and make sure you understand it, and info may differ between engines, so please read that area of the manual so you don't wreck your car.
The goal: Have you ever started up your car and heard this ticking? It follows the revs. Mine was unusually bad on cold mornings. It also usually goes away after engine reaches operating temp. I wanted to fix this.
My method: Replace lifters!
What you'll need:
Replacement lifters. I snagged some off of a similar engine with lower km's (actually, all Mazdas are the same, so take the lowest km mazda) These are pocket material, maybe bring a little baggy along to get them without getting all your pocket treasures stuck to them (lint)
10mm socket
12mm socket
socket extension
torque wrench (capable of 20ft lbs)
pliers
a bigger rag to lay your valvetrains on
two smaller rags to pick valvetrains up with (unless your engine is cold, then finges work fine)
Estimated Time: 10-15 mins/train
What to do:
Step one: Find your replacement lifters! lifters are the little things at the end of each rocker arm that make contact with each spring retainer, compressing the spring and pushing the valve down, opening it. This is what they look like.
Where to find them:
on the underside
Pull them out nicely with pliers, don't scratch the hell out of it. Treat it like its worth $50 (which it very well may cost at a shop) grab it by the fatter bottom part, not the centre
Step two:Pull off your VC, I hope you know how to do this. If not, you are beyond my help.
Step three: Look at your valvetrain and admit to yourself, if aplicable: "I have no idea how any of this shyte works and I am completely lost and impressed" Take a wild guess at which train is being noisy. I guessed exhaust, and I was right. Take your 12mm socket in hand.
Step four: Slowly, from left to right, undo each bolt holding the train down ONE TURN AT A TIME untill each bolt is removeable with fingers, or equal torque. Its normal for two side by side bolts to be harder than the rest. This is the piston that requres these valves to be open at the moment your engine stopped rotating last time you turned it off.
Step five: Leave the bolts in their seats, just make them loose so you can lift them a little and drop them back down (as in no longer fastening anything) Leave them in the holes!
Step six: Grab the train by the ends and lift it over, keeping it upright, to your big rag you laid out on something flat and clean. When putting it down, make sure the bolts stay facing up so they don't fall out on you. Put the whole thing down, and twist each rocker arm so its is upside down, lifters facing up. Keep bolts facing up.
Step seven: Take a light, or use the room light, and examine the bottom of each lifter. It should have a pattern resembling a figure 8, like this one.
If it is a solid shiny, or developing and S type pattern, it is a loud one, or soon will be. Pull out the garbage one and press an newer one into the hole with your fingers. Walk over to your engine and look for the spring retainers that match the broken lifters. They should also be solid shiny. This is a nice way to double check. They should have the same figure 8 pattern as the lifters.
Step eight: It may be nice to have an extra set of hands for this. Slowly lift your valvetrain back over to your engine and place it back into its slot. Put the rocker arms back into their normal position, so each lifter meets with a spring retainer. The rocker arms swivel on that shaft, so the extra hands can lift them all so they face the right way as you put the valvetrain back into its seat. finger tight the bolts in whichever order feels right.
Step nine: Repeat steps four through eight for each train, if you're lucky, you only have 2. v6 guys, obviously need to remove the rear VC to get at those valvetrains.
Step 10: In the online shop manual... There will be a section telling you the torque order for the trains.
Since I'm so nice..
B6 SOHC Torque Order
K8 DOHC Torque Order
B6 DOHC Torque Order
Don't start at 20 ft lbs, start at something like 5 and slowly work your way up to 20, following the order shown.
While doing this, rattle the rocker arms around a bit and make sure they're mating well to the spring retainers.
IMPORTANT!
On the intake side, the rocker arms need squeezed together in order not to fit incorrectly. The rocker arms fit inbetween the square things the whole valvetrain is mounted to. Look how it sits before you pull it off, to get an idea. Its nice to have some extra hands to help squeeze while finger tightening (I actually used a 12mm screwdriver, better grip)
The arrows are how you need to pinch it, and the circled part is how the rocker arms need to fit inbetween the mounts
Step 10: You did all the trains and replaced some lifters. You put everything back together, and it looks good. Like this, yes.
Put your VC(s) back on and torque them down to 6 ft lbs.
Hop in and start her up. Should be quiet. If anything freaky is happening, shut it off! You did something wrong you idiot! Now you need a new valvetrain!
