i have had it with this damn car

[synaptik]

so last week i quit driving it while i order a clutch i get in today to take over to where i am going to install it and its blowing huge freaking clouds of smoke, i say white my old lady says black out the pipe and a little bit coming from in the engine bay which i believe is just oil burning on the engine casing. anyone got a cheap engine and the tools/kno-how to help me put it in this weekend. or wanna buy a miata with a hosed motor

[Treibenschnell]

My car was having some clutch issues, so I decided not to drive it for a bit. In the meantime, I ordered a new clutch.

It arrived today.

I proceeded to take the car and new parts over to a predetermined location where I could safely fix the issue.

However, on the way, it began blowing large volumes of smoke. I contended that it was white smoke while my beloved argued that it was, in fact, black smoke.

It looked to be pouring from the exhaust pipe and perhaps some from underneath the hood; however, I believe that to be caused by some residual oil spillage on the engine casing.

Perhaps someone has a inexpensive engine they can part with? Or perhaps someone has the ability, know-how, tools, space and time to help me with repairing the problem?

Or just maybe I can find someone that will want to purchase a used Miata with a questionable motor!

That sounds too bad. Perhaps a tech day would solve your problems!

[synaptik]

i love the little car but jeeez ... i just want it to run right ....


anyone up for one tomm in princeton ... course i have no tools but i have a driveway ... lol

[Billy Blaze]

From what I have heard Black is ok White is bad.

Hope you can get it fixed, I feel your pain brother.

[Kags1969]

Black smoke is too much fuel, so it might just be an o2 sensor. White smoke would be oil and more problematic. Let me know if you decide to sell, I need a rust free body to do my t3 turbo project...

[synaptik]

so it quiets down on the smoking a little bit after about 15 min of running, but i still smell oil burning bad.i drove it over to where the tools are and the help to start working on the clutch. once up on the jacks i noticed quite a bit of fresh oil but still have not traced where its coming from. upon loosening hte tranny bolts there was a black burnt fluid coming out of the tranny and the smell of burnt oil overtook me again going to try to go ahead and do the real seal tomm while the car is in pieces. ran out of daylight and could not even get the tranny all the way out yet. how else could oil be getting into the tranny. is it difficult to add the rear seal to a job when the tranny is already out? what all does it entail?

i seriously doubt that will be the cause of the exhaust smoke ... but gotta start somewhere ... if i get time and can find it i will be doing the CAS o-ring also tomm and new plug wires as i found a cut in the #1 wire not a big one just a knick but enough to make me want to replace

[sammm]

A bad rear main seal is very common on these cars.

[synaptik]

that wont cause exhaust smoke though will it ?

how hard is it to change ... tranny will be out very early right now it is resting on the jack just trying to figure out how to break it free without yanking the exhaust

[Kags1969]

Rear Main Seal is not that hard to change. You will just have to take off the Flywheel and pry out the seal and replace it. Tap it in slowly and evenly and note where the old seal sits in the back of the engine b4 u pull it.

[synaptik]

well i got into the transmission yesterday and it was nasty ... lol ... looked like a rat had moved into it. below is what was left of my clutch

[TurboDuane]

well i got into the transmission yesterday and it was nasty ... lol ... looked like a rat had moved into it. below is what was left of my clutch

I'll bet it made a lot of noise with that missing spring being thrown around the bell housing. Stay calm, it will all work out. Definately do the rear main, while you have the tranny out, but be careful not to mar the seals seat when pulling the old one out.

[Kags1969]

You might think about having the flywheel surfaced while you have it out.... its usually $50-$70 at a machine shop....

[synaptik]

flywheel actually looked pretty good amazingly, the spring fell out right as we dropped the tranny, but there was a rats nest of asbestos in the bell i had to clean out.did the rear main seal to it wasnt hard there wasnt any wet oil on the flywheel side so i dont think it really needed it but since i was there. wont be done wit hit till next weekend since i ran out of daylight i still have the exhaust to put back on and the starter.

[icepenguin66]

You pick up a nice low mileage one from one of the engine stores, like Eric Japan, for around $700. I'd have someone check the compression and a few other things out on the engine before replacing seals and such. IMO, a good replacement engine is fairly cheap and easy to come by in lue of spending lots of money replacing every little thing that goes wrong on the worn out engine you may have. Engine swaps in these cars are a breeze too. Make a tech day out of it and you'll be set!

[synaptik]

i wont have the money for an engine swap until jan or so, was thinking since i will be doing it anyways going to a 1.8 but not sure how much more work that will be, looking to spend less than a grand to get it done so it will prob have to be a good used 1.6 would love the help to get it done

[icepenguin66]

i wont have the money for an engine swap until jan or so, was thinking since i will be doing it anyways going to a 1.8 but not sure how much more work that will be, looking to spend less than a grand to get it done so it will prob have to be a good used 1.6 would love the help to get it done

Just look for a good deal on a 1.8 and add up the FM parts (throttle body adapter, throttle cable bracket, coil bracket, etc.). It's hardly any extra work to do the 1.8 swap. I've done several so let me know if ya have any questions.

[POS Racing]

So it looks like you really have had it with the car - http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/486207525.html

Best of luck selling it!

[johnwag]

So it looks like you really have had it with the car - http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/486207525.html

Best of luck selling it!

Wow syanptik, you are serious! Good Luck.

[synaptik]

unless you wanna give me a good 1.6 and help me put it in wags

i really dont want to sell it but i dont know if it is worth putting further money into, i am already into it that much so if i can get what i got in it i will put it towards a nicer na/nb

but i am sure i will end up with it still and be doing the engine swap soon enough (since 90% of CL replies are scammers)


if it does go i WILL be getting another miata

[mtrx804]

id help if ya got a garage :P