1.8 Mk2 Jap RS in need of an engine

[andymaxwell]

I understand where you are all coming from and I agree. However I know/knew very little about skimming and head issues so had to trust the mechanic and engineers doing the skim. Unfortunately it's happened now and it was too much stress and effort to do it the other way.

[Lazza]

I would never bother taking an MX5 engine apart to fix it. A new head gasket kit alone costs half the price of a decent 2nd hand engine and removing/refitting the head takes just as long as removing/replacing the complete engine.

[andymaxwell]

:) I wish I'd had you to speak to the mechanic :)

[Mazda Mender]

Double skim is a big no no , more so on the Mk 2 1.8, no matter how much you trust them...new engine is the only route, easier and cheaper and will be correct and run right, she will never be right double skimmed/c*cked up with 700 gaskets.

They wants ya money.
M-m

[andymaxwell]

I appreciate your insight into all this. I wish I had stuck to my guns with the mechanic (as I didn't trust the engine then and I sure don't now!), but I guess being very trusting can be an achilles heel sometimes.
I will report back and hope that at least if all does go wrong it will be a good lesson to others.

[andymaxwell]

So here's the report back, and I'm keeping it short as there's been so much.

Car given back to me and work paid for.
Drove it ten mins down the road, coolant hose split. Replaced myself.
Checked the temps after fitting. ....used an infrared thermometer (held 6 inches from the coolant sensor housing at the rear of engine) and it measured 107 degC fan on 103degC fan off. [the temps at the thermostat end were fine]

Took it back to garage to top up coolant and point out the temperature. Whilst I was there I found an oil leak from the rocker cover. They investigated and partially opening up the bottom of the engine found a serious oil pressure problem (failing oil pump). *sigh*.

Would a professional mechanic, given a car with a headgasket issue, check the oil pressure first thing? If not, would they check it after repairing the headgasket? And could the temp issues be an error in measurement from an infrared thermometer?

[Mazda Mender]

How do they know it is failing?
M-m

[andymaxwell]

The emails I received were

"The guys removed the rocker cover to re-seal as this is where the oil leak was coming from.
When they removed the cover they noticed that there was not as much oil in & around the camshafts as there should be.
They carried out an oil pressure check and the pressure was indeed low."

followed up by

"The oil pressure was found to be low, low enough to cause concern for the longevity of the engine.
The guys partially stripped the bottom end to diagnose the problem.
The oil pump was found to be weak & also new bottom end bearing shells would be good practice."

[Mazda Mender]

You should of just fitted a good s/hand engine and had done, which would of been less hassle , time and cost, to be honest they should of tested the oil pressure because they have re-built it.
M-m

[Lazza]

It all seems like an expensive waste of time and effort to me. MX5 engines are cheap and plentiful...

Ahem...

[flea]

Take something for that cough Lazza..... Lol

[Mazda Mender]

Like smugness
M-m

[Yolo]

That sucks I hope you get it sorted.... Might be worth looking for that second hand engine and then you can see what the other one is like once its out.

[andymaxwell]

Thanks Yolo, it does suck :( They've now quoted me a reduced rate of £476 to replace the Conrod bearing set, Main bearing set, Thrust washers, Oil pump assembly, Engine oil, Oil filter + Labour. Which I cannot afford. [they have offered me this reduced price - thus possibly recognising that they made a mistake in letting the car come back to me with an oil pressure issue]

But here's a point...

They said the oil pump pressure issue was only noticed when I took it back to them (100 miles or so of driving after I got it back originally) and they spotted there wasn't enough oil pooling/puddling on top of the head. So they took off the sump to check out what was going on.

Now. Given that prior to this:
1) the head had been thoroughly cleaned,
2) the cam bridges put in the right way around (they were in the wrong order or back to front originally)
3) the oil feed pipes cleaned
4) new oil cooler seal put in (the old one was leaking)
5) the head gasket replaced

Based on everything I've written in these posts am I right to believe that on the balance of probability it's reasonable to believe that oil pump was failing when I brought it to them?

And if that's true then surely that issue was pre-existing when they first examined the engine??