Mazda B2600 engine oil use

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Ivan Vegvary - 13 Aug 2006 20:38 GMT

I had my B2600 engine (1991 truck) rebuilt at 95,000 miles (water leak,
cracked head). Spent $ 2,100. Upon rebuild (I did the R&R) it immediately
used a lot of oil. I pulled it back out and the re-builder tore it down and
told me he got some 'mis-marked' rings, and therefore some were installed
backwards. Put engine back in (getting a lot faster at it).

It's been 10,000 miles and the engine still uses a lot of oil, although not
as much. Most of the oil is being burned right at startup after an
overnight rest. I talked to the re-builder about whether seals had been put
on the valve stems and he replied that he "never does that on a Mazda". I
go through a quart about every 3-400 miles. I think that is excessive.
Additionally, the car 'pinged' right from the start. No amount of
reasonable timing delay solves the pinging. I can delay it until there is
no ping, but, the car runs awful and won't go much over 50 mph if it is
retarded.

Have moved out of state since the rebuild and therefore not practical to go
back to the re-builder.
Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Does anybody know whether
valve stem seals were used on this model?

Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

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Ted Mittelstaedt - 14 Aug 2006 06:44 GMT

> I had my B2600 engine (1991 truck) rebuilt at 95,000 miles (water leak,
> cracked head). Spent $ 2,100. Upon rebuild (I did the R&R) it immediately
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> overnight rest. I talked to the re-builder about whether seals had been put
> on the valve stems and he replied that he "never does that on a Mazda".

I hate to confirm what you probably already suspected, but any rebuilder
that dosen't replace a wearable item like a valve stem seal during an engine
rebuild of a 95,000 mile block is irresponsible in the extreme. I don't
know if your engine has no valve stem seals, but I can't imagine what
else they would use to seal them.

>I
> go through a quart about every 3-400 miles. I think that is excessive.
> Additionally, the car 'pinged' right from the start. No amount of
> reasonable timing delay solves the pinging. I can delay it until there is
> no ping, but, the car runs awful and won't go much over 50 mph if it is
> retarded.

Did they mill the head? Or the block? Did they use a too-thin head
gasket? Were the pistons changed?

> Have moved out of state since the rebuild and therefore not practical to go
> back to the re-builder.
> Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Does anybody know whether
> valve stem seals were used on this model?

Frankly your screwed. Unless your doing your own work your going to
spend less money just buying oil on sale at the local Walmart or some such
and just keep pouring it in. I buy oil for about a dollar a quart, when it
is on sale here. If your going 400 miles per quart, when you should be
going at least 3000 miles per quart like most people, that is only $7 more
that your spending in oil in between oil changes than most people spend.

Assuming a valve seal job would cost you maybe $800 the payback
on that seal job would only start happening after 342,000 miles and
from the sound of it I strongly doubt your going to get that many miles
out of this rebuild.

Let this be a lesson to you - if you have problems with a rebuilt engine
don't wait around for things to get better, get right on it with the
rebuilder
immediately, don't let it sit around and get stale.

Ted

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Don - 14 Aug 2006 07:22 GMT

>I had my B2600 engine (1991 truck) rebuilt at 95,000 miles (water leak,
>cracked head). Spent $ 2,100. Upon rebuild (I did the R&R) it immediately
>used a lot of oil. I pulled it back out and the re-builder tore it down and
>told me he got some 'mis-marked' rings, and therefore some were installed
>backwards.

Very poor answer. This "rebuilder" is a quack.

>Put engine back in (getting a lot faster at it).
>It's been 10,000 miles and the engine still uses a lot of oil, although not
>as much. Most of the oil is being burned right at startup after an
>overnight rest. I talked to the re-builder about whether seals had been put
>on the valve stems and he replied that he "never does that on a Mazda".

Very poor answer. This "rebuilder" is a quack.

>I go through a quart about every 3-400 miles. I think that is excessive.
>Additionally, the car 'pinged' right from the start. No amount of
>reasonable timing delay solves the pinging.

Head was shaved too much. Should have been straightened and then only
minimally shaved. See if a head gasket shim is available.

> I can delay it until there is
>no ping, but, the car runs awful and won't go much over 50 mph if it is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Does anybody know whether
>valve stem seals were used on this model?

Yes they were.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

>Thanks,
>Ivan Vegvary

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