Decisions decisions decisions...

[scitzz]

So, the B3 that has been in Baby Car for the last 4 years or so was bought for $200 with 190K on it. Roughly, it now has something like 400+K on it.

It has been running rough for quite a while now, and I haven't exactly done much to even figure out why.

Now, I have had this bad oil leak lately, both the cam and crankshaft seals under the timing cover. So, I broke down, and got the seals, as well as new timing belt, alt belt, and W/P. Gonna have to take them all out, right? Also grabbed new plugs, wires, rotor and cap.

I also figured I would do a compression test, get an idea of what was wrong inside. First thing to do, warm it up, then pull the plugs.

Sigh.


















Then, there is the fact that number 2 hasn't been firing, unless the revs go over 1500, even before the spark plug somehow got closed.

Then the compression test

Round one

1st Took its sweet time jumping in a jerky fashion to 180 PSI
2nd creeped up to 150
3rd managed to ring up a whopping 30 PSI
4th slowly climbed to 115.

Squirt some oil in the cylinders, and then a second go around

1st rang right up to 170
2nd whomped up to 150, then crept to 165
3rd one shot right up to its previous heights of 30PSI
4th ran right up to 120

These are not good signs.

Some ring wear, oil, perhaps burnt or bent valves, or seats. Bare minimum, I have to remove the head, and I will spend at least $200, or $250, and then set that head on top of rings that show signs of wear, with 400K on them.


So, it is with a heavy heart that I feel I will just HAVE to install a B-6 in baby car.

My heart breaks

The good news is, for as bad as she runs, she is still running, and pulling, albeit not very well. This gives me a little time to make some moves.

I have found on carpart dot com, a B6 in a 1989 Mazda 323 with 123K on it, 20 miles from me, for $350, pulled. non-turbo.

Also, Silver is sitting over there, with a 5speed in it, engine out, since I gave it to WulfgartheGreat to get him running. Should be good, we found a burned up clutch when we pulled the engine. I SUPPOSE I could pop that in to replace the 4 speed I have been running on for the last couple years.

Then, I GUESS I could go ahead and clean the heck out of the engine bay.
What the hay.

The true bad spot is, I was GOING to go and pick up an aspire swap with sam.1956 this week, and it looks like this will kill that plan :cry_smile:

So, I used the search function, but my skillz there are terrible. Can anyone point me to a good thread or fifty on the swap, or care to share any pointers or tips?

Or did I post in the wrong topic...

[Bert]

Likely you have burnt a valve. Wet and dry compression tests being the same strongly suggests that. And those plug gaps look like crap.
I have a valve that sticks every once in awhile and the car smokes like crazy when that happens. A splash of seafoam and up the road she goes at 5000 rpm in first until the 'mosquito fogger' stops.

However nothing perks up your spirits more than plotting to rejuvenate a car that has by and large been faithful. And from what I understand a B6 swap is child's play compared to twin cams or B8s.

[htchbck]

#3 exhaust valve is toast... #4 is getting there too. I had very similar dry/wet numbers on Babystiva and here's what I did:

1. Pulled the head (with both manifolds still attached)

2. Cleaned up head and top of block

3. Replaced the two bad valves with good ones out another spare head and lapped all eight valves

4. Reinstalled head using new head gasket ($19.99 from RockAuto)

5. Retested: 175/180/175/175 dry, 180/180/180/180 wet Runing like a champ at around 180k!

(I would have done timing belt and water pump at this time too, but they had been changed less than 5k ago along with the front crank and cam seals)

Bottom line is, I don't think its the bottom end thats giving you trouble, I think its burnt valves. I've had trouble with #3 in a couple of my cars lately, both EFI and carb. Don't know why, but that one seems to be the first to go, followed by #4.

[scitzz]

#3 exhaust valve is toast... #4 is getting there too. I had very similar dry/wet numbers on Babystiva and here's what I did:

1. Pulled the head (with both manifolds still attached)

2. Cleaned up head and top of block

3. Replaced the two bad valves with good ones out another spare head and lapped all eight valves

4. Reinstalled head using new head gasket ($19.99 from RockAuto)

5. Retested: 175/180/175/175 dry, 180/180/180/180 wet Runing like a champ at around 180k!

(I would have done timing belt and water pump at this time too, but they had been changed less than 5k ago along with the front crank and cam seals)

Bottom line is, I don't think its the bottom end thats giving you trouble, I think its burnt valves. I've had trouble with #3 in a couple of my cars lately, both EFI and carb. Don't know why, but that one seems to be the first to go, followed by #4.

I agree, the bottom end seems to be worn, but serviceable. I could also do a similar repair, but I did that once before on very old rings, and just blew the snot out of them with the nice, tight head :cry_smile:

Did your B3 have 400K on the rings, and still getting those numbers? We have the same job, curious...

Besides, I have the wife talked into the swap already :twisted:

[scitzz]

Oh, and something evil is happening inside number 2 to close the gap like that, I mean, it was touching!

[scitzz]

However nothing perks up your spirits more than plotting to rejuvenate a car that has by and large been faithful. And from what I understand a B6 swap is child's play compared to twin cams or B8s.

By and large? LOL!

Baby Car is a rolling testament to the toughness that is a Festiva! Neglected, beat on, and generally abused in ways no vehicle should ever be, since I got her in 93 with less than a mile on her, she has been keeping my family going for the last 3/4 of a million miles!

Rule number one, Baby Car gets fixed first!

[htchbck]

No, it wasn't 400k, thats true. But if you are getting 170/150 on the two "good" cylinders then I'd put money on a valve job bringing you back into the 150/160 range across the bouard at least. Not perfect by any means, but should run much better. Just offering it as a cheap/quick alternative to completely rebuilding an engine you are already making plans to replace in the future. It would just buy you a good bit of time to thoroughly plan out a swap and source parts rather than just pick up the nearest available B6 and drop it in

[Bert]

Some of us, particularly those with oodles of spare time, love an excuse to upgrade an engine. I don't have 400k on any of my 3 cars but they're all approaching 200 k (miles) now.
Highway miles are no where near as hard on a motor as stop/start cold runs to the beer store or mailbox. I'll say this much for Mazda; they have learned to make good and sturdy engines. "Sewing machine power plants" of the 60s and 70s wore out in a jiffy compared to today's stuff.

[scitzz]

No, it wasn't 400k, thats true. But if you are getting 170/150 on the two "good" cylinders then I'd put money on a valve job bringing you back into the 150/160 range across the bouard at least. Not perfect by any means, but should run much better. Just offering it as a cheap/quick alternative to completely rebuilding an engine you are already making plans to replace in the future. It would just buy you a good bit of time to thoroughly plan out a swap and source parts rather than just pick up the nearest available B6 and drop it in

You have a point, and I sure didn't mean to be dismissive!

As it is, though, I am skert to death to do it that way. As it is, I have a runner, and can get that B-6, and all my parts sourced, lined up, and then drop them in in the next week or so. If I go the other route, and I blow out a ring or two, again, then I am Skee-roood!

Bert, this engine alone has 400K, mostly those city miles, ie, pizza delivery! Mazda built tough sewing machines for sure!

[Damkid]

Well if your gunna do an engine swap, might as well add a couple more cylinders jk

Good luck gettin er' all fixed up and ready for the next 400k miles

[Bert]

Well if your gunna do an engine swap, might as well add a couple more cylinders jk

Good luck gettin er' all fixed up and ready for the next 400k miles

One of these days you'll show us how you managed to shoehorn a vintage non-transverse-mount aluminum block GM/Buick 215 V8 into the front of a Festy. There's enough of a tunnel there to do the rear drive thing and maybe you can retain a Festy motor somewhere in there as a spare to function as starter motor or to run the compressor, sound/PA system or A/C.

[scitzz]

Well if your gunna do an engine swap, might as well add a couple more cylinders jk

Good luck gettin er' all fixed up and ready for the next 400k miles

I showed this to the wife, and she is down, which is more than I can say for me, I just don't think I am capable of pulling off stuffing two more cylinders in there right now!

[fastivaca]

You will NOT be disappointed with a B6 swap! If there is a drawback it's that your right arm will get much less of a workout with the reduced number of downshifts

Did mine in about 12 hours.. drove it into the garage under B3 power on a Friday afternoon and drove it out under B6 power on Sunday. And that's doing the bulk of the work myself.

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

[TominMO]

Yup, B6. Festys shoulda bin sold w/B6s and better brakes from the factory. Makes Festys even more awesome! But Ford brought 'em here because they had B3s, to meet the CAFE mileage standards.

[Damkid]

You will NOT be disappointed with a V6 swap!

I couldn't agree more :lol: