Head Rebuild and Valve clearance issues

[tkephart]

So I had to replace all 16 valves, I dont want to talk about why.... Anyways, when I got the head back from the machine shop, my valve clearances are WAY off. I put stock valves and seals in with no other changes. I put my cams on and measured the clearances, figuring I would have to replace a couple of tappets, and found that everything is really loose. Loose as in I cannot buy tappets to cover the gap.

FYI
Stock clearances:
Intake 0.22-0.28mm
Exhaust 0.27-0.33mm

IL = Intake Left, IR= Intake Right, EL= Exhaust Left, ER= Exhaust Right

Here are the clearances as measured before swapping tappets around:
Cylinder 1 2 3 4
IL 0.279 0.33 0.279 0.406
IR 0.33 0.432 0.381 0.356
EL 0.559 0.483 0.61 0.737
ER 0.737 0.686 0.686 0.737

After 84K miles, the tappets do show some wear. On average they have worn 0.05mm, not significant relative to the current clearances. After swapping some tappets, kind of futile given the clearances I have to make up, here are the new clearances:

Cylinder 1 2 3 4
IL 0.356 0.356 0.381 0.457
IR 0.356 0.483 0.686 0.381
EL 0.584 0.533 0.584 0.686
ER 0.635 0.66 0.66 0.711

I have also calculated the tappets that are required given the setup right now

Cylinder 1 2 3 4
IL 0.341 0.424 0.398 0.453
IR 0.372 0.529 0.489 0.443
EL 0.557 0.502 0.575 0.782
ER 0.714 0.66 0.674 0.709

As far as I know, the only tappets that are available are up to .382 (correct me if I am wrong). I actually have tappets that are up to .442.

So after all of this, my questions are:

1. Is the tappet range really only up to 0.382mm?
2. What else can be going on here to cause my clearances to be that far out?
3. How bad will the tapping be if I leave the clearances as they are?

Thanks for the help!

[anavrinIV]

@Tomas

you can replace the tappets from what I understand, and they go up pretty high. I'll let the guy I mentioned speak more, he knows what he's talking about.

[06Speed6]

Measure the valves, they should be 103.4mm long. I have never heard of a head coming back from a machine shop with additional valve clearance unless they swapped seats.

[TWOptSL0W]

youll need to swap out tappets

[tkephart]

@TWOptSL0W
The problem isnt swapping out tappets, it is the fact that there are no tappets available to bring my clearance back into spec. See Cylinder 1 ER, I need a .714 tappet when the largest ones that I could find for sale are .382.
@06Speed6
The only things that I had replaced were the valves and seals.

[silvapain]

Are you sure they used the right valves? The machine shop doing my head couldn't find the right valves through his normal channels, and I had to order them directly from Mazda to get the right ones.


Tapadatass

[Haltech]

There's no way they used stock valves. Do you have the build sheet you can scan and upload?

[tkephart]

So this might be where I have made my mistake.

Exhaust Valve
Intake Valve

I have ordered stuff from rockauto before and never had a problem. It is certainly possible that these valves dont conform to stock...

[06Speed6]

Do not run that valve, it is not the correct valve. A memeber had the same problem with those valves about a year ago. Order the oem valve.

[tkephart]

@06Speed6
I was hoping that wasnt the issue but I guess it is good to know. It would have helped to know before buying them and the machining....

Thanks for your help.

[Haltech]

There's a rockauto thread on here somewhere. I don't think there has been one thing ordered from them that actually fits.

[DiGi Faggot]

Originally Posted by Haltech There's a rockauto thread on here somewhere. I don't think there has been one thing ordered from them that actually fits.

Because its all for the 6 not the MS6.

[SPEED6 KILLAH]

Originally Posted by tkephart So I had to replace all 16 valves, I dont want to talk about why.... Anyways, when I got the head back from the machine shop, my valve clearances are WAY off. I put stock valves and seals in with no other changes. I put my cams on and measured the clearances, figuring I would have to replace a couple of tappets, and found that everything is really loose. Loose as in I cannot buy tappets to cover the gap. FYI Stock clearances: Intake 0.22-0.28mm Exhaust 0.27-0.33mm IL = Intake Left, IR= Intake Right, EL= Exhaust Left, ER= Exhaust Right Here are the clearances as measured before swapping tappets around: Cylinder 1 2 3 4 IL 0.279 0.33 0.279 0.406 IR 0.33 0.432 0.381 0.356 EL 0.559 0.483 0.61 0.737 ER 0.737 0.686 0.686 0.737 After 84K miles, the tappets do show some wear. On average they have worn 0.05mm, not significant relative to the current clearances. After swapping some tappets, kind of futile given the clearances I have to make up, here are the new clearances: Cylinder 1 2 3 4 IL 0.356 0.356 0.381 0.457 IR 0.356 0.483 0.686 0.381 EL 0.584 0.533 0.584 0.686 ER 0.635 0.66 0.66 0.711 I have also calculated the tappets that are required given the setup right now Cylinder 1 2 3 4 IL 0.341 0.424 0.398 0.453 IR 0.372 0.529 0.489 0.443 EL 0.557 0.502 0.575 0.782 ER 0.714 0.66 0.674 0.709 As far as I know, the only tappets that are available are up to .382 (correct me if I am wrong). I actually have tappets that are up to .442. So after all of this, my questions are: 1. Is the tappet range really only up to 0.382mm? 2. What else can be going on here to cause my clearances to be that far out? 3. How bad will the tapping be if I leave the clearances as they are? Thanks for the help!

The tappets are available up too 3.201-3.801
It's a easy fix just buy some tappets.

[tkephart]

So I was transposing the decimal when I was looking at tappet sizes.... 3.82 not 3.382....Gotta love transposing numbers as I read them. It only took me reading your post 4 times to realize my mistake. Thanks a lot guys, sorry for the ineptitude.

[superskaterxes]

Originally Posted by 06Speed6 Measure the valves, they should be 103.4mm long. I have never heard of a head coming back from a machine shop with additional valve clearance unless they swapped seats.

or they did a valve job and cut the stems down while high on acid lol