hoodratkp's MS6

So bought a built 07 mazdaspeed6 off of marketplace and it has turned into quite the project for someone who has no idea what the hell they are doing. This is my first adventure into the car world and for some random reason I have fallen in love with the damn thing. Doing all of the work in my gravel driveway as I don't have a garage or any sort of real flat ground to work on. Interior is 10/10 and body is a solid 8 or 9/10. Some slight rust on the hood but other than that it's pretty good. Yes, it's mostly bought and not built. But it comes with issues and faults that a first timer is working through and I figured I would document here for myself or others reading pleasure. Plan to maintain this car for many years to come.




Bought the car with a list of the following mods:

- Manley Rods and Pistons
- ARP Head studs
-GTX3582r Turbo
-Ported Intake Manifold
- autotech hpfp
- cpe front mount intercooler piping
- Mishimoto intercooler
-3.5' ram power intake
- 3 in vband downpipe straight pipe
- grimmspeed boost controller
- Tial 44m Wastegate
- 3.5 bar map sensor
- Corksport balance shaft delete
- egr delete
- aem methanol kit
- CS short shifter
- Diamond oil catch car
- Accessport and car was tuned
- CS fuel injectors


For starters I was told that the car needed fuel injectors but other than that everything was basically good to go. The guy had started to relocate the battery to the trunk and never finished so had to do that. So I attempted to tackle the fuel injectors first (I have another post about that on here as well.) Basically, bought some knockoff fuel injectors from ebay like an idiot and they didn't work. I put the original CS fuel injectors back in and we were back in business. Fast forward a bit and I am still having some white smoke coming out of my exhaust randomly and then after another week or so it got to the point I couldn't even sit in a drive through without getting smoked out. So I parked the bitch and the fun began.

First assumption was a head gasket and based on what it looked like... just might be right. Lol. Did compression tests and all 4 come back as 120. From what I could tell, that's low, so went ahead and ordered parts for timing chain, vvt, and head gasket. For someone who has never done more than an oil/tire change on a vehicle this has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding endeavors. It took anywhere from 15-20 hours of labor to get everything disassembled and to get the head off. Going to post a picture below of some of the components removed and if anyone has anything they notice visually, please call it out. There is a hell of a lot of knowledge in this community. I used this video on youtube to guide me through the process:























Head has now been sent off to machine shop for clean, resurface, and pressure test and hopefully be ready sometime in the middle of next week. While I am waiting on that to return I am going to meticulously clean everything I can get my hands on inside the engine bay. I am also replacing a few of my sensors/plugs during re assembly and during this waiting period. Crankshaft/Camshaft position sensor, 02 sensor, knock/detonation sensor, replacing MAF and VVT plugs, replacing return fuel lines from hpfp as well as another hose or two that were dry rotted and cracked. I'll post updates as this process continues.

If you have any suggestions or things that I should look at/do/replace while I have the head off that I am not already attempting to do, PLEASE call it out. I want to do this right the first time.

 

Not much progress this past week. Time has been short and weather has been doo doo. Plus needing to order things I didn't realize I needed such as timing tool and TDC locking pin. I did get some parts shined up, though. Spent a lot of time on the block and cams. I wouldn't say they come shiny clean but they are significantly better than they were. Mostly used brake cleaner and sandpaper.

Picked my head up on Tuesday from the machine shop and discovered that I had lost one of the head stud washers and while talking to the guy there I realized I made a mistake when I took the head off originally. Looking back I wish I would have gotten one of the little stick magnets to fish the stud washers out. A lot of them fell down into the engine head and were a BITCH to dig out of there. A couple I wasn't able to get to and then I flipped the head over to try and shake them out. About 6 of the caps (not sure what they are called but the little silver caps, piston caps? idk.) fell out when I flipped it over. Had no idea that would happen and also did not know that their position is important. They all looked identical so didn't think nothing of it at the time. The machinist said that I can move them around and use a feeler gauge to make sure I have proper clearance to determine their correct position. Safe to say these mother fuckers getting numbered when I get it figured out

Walking back out to put everything together after taking it apart was a bit overwhelming for me. Never done anything more complex than brakes. A shit load of parts and screws and worried I'll put something where it doesn't belong and there goes that. I stumbled through holding some parts up in place etc to put the picture together in my head. Heading into it this weekend with a fresh mindset and just going to follow the service manual one step at a time. Everything is supposed to be here today and I have my dad and a buddy coming over this weekend to see if we can get this thing back together.

 

Sounds like a nightmare! Some info, If building it, make sure you get the block also hone and skimmed. Find out how much was skimmed to get them straight. I had .006 total I think on mine. Ordered a Cometic gasket with the increased thickness. Damond has em. I got the cylinders 20 over, Manley rods/pistons.

If I read right, the cam bearing caps fell out. I am 99% sure you will want them back in their original spot. @Rokusek would know the way. Could be major.

But hey, it's a fun little money pit, right?

 

I think hes referring to the cam buckets. If so, they 100% need to be in the right spot to make the build much easier. However, it can be made right it just takes some work.
<<Here>> is JTs write up on the process of installing them if you need help understanding.
Good Luck

 

Yup, this is it. Definitely going to take some effort to make it right. not impossible but a PITA.

 

According to this, it is the Tappets that I am referring to that fell out when I flipped the head over. It looks like the caps are stamped to show me where they belong tfg. Looking through that thread it does seem like it's going to be fun. Damnit man

 

Yes, you will have to check lash on each and every single one to fix this. Each tappet has info on the underside of what size it is. I made this mistake once years ago. took me a day to fix it. Good luck man.

 

Appreciate it! Was gonna try to do it today but just gonna torque the head down today and call it because of some more damn rain. Seem to have mixed signals from the interwebs on correct ft lb but ARP showing 70 so sticking with it.

 

Just make sure you torque in stages, but also still follow OEM order. Take your time with the tappets too, do not rush it. write everything down as you go too.

 

Valve seats, and valve faces on the exhaust side are common to have issues with wear and carbon build up... It would have been a good idea to get the machine shop to go through and resurface the valves and seats... This would have required that they had all the tappets and cams.. they would have then machined the tips of the valves to set the lash that you'll now need to go and measure to get the tappets back in the right places..

Exhaust valves not sealing could have contributed to the lack of compression..

 

Good to know that they can do all of that. Next time, they can do it all for sure. For now though, I get to learn the hard way. lol.

 

IF you do end up down that road... You've gotta be specific to get them to disassemble the head and remove all the valves to inspect... I've run in to machine shops that will just vacuum test the valves... This can be a problem due to the carbon build up that happens... That carbon is softish and acts like a seal.. So it'll pass the vacuum test, but if you pull apart the valve face is trashed.. I've got pictures of this some where..

 

By some ungodly miracle, tappet clearance was mint on first go. Starting on the timing chain. Time to figure out where all these bolts went hahaha.

 

Whaaahhaha no way! Lucky fucker!

If you need help with timing. Let me know. I is master.

You could literally dump a bucket of bolts on the floor for these cars and I can tell you where each and every one goes originally but also where else it could be used.

 

RIGHT. Was expecting to spend quite a few hours on that. Very grateful...

Now that is impressive. Maybe one day I'll acquire that skill. Interested in maybe flipping these long term if all of this goes well. Anyway, I will keep that in mind though and likely post a picture or two of some bolts when I get lost. We did figure out everything that we were able to get done today as far as bolts, though. Chain guides are in and tensioner is installed but nothing is tightened down yet. Need to get a torque wrench for in. lb now so I can get that done.

I do have one question about the crankshaft pulley (where the bottom half of the timing chain connects to.) It has a little marker arrow on it but I am not sure what I am supposed to be lining it up with? Or is it just supposed to be top or bottom?

Also, while cleaning up for the day I was going through parts to plan for the next driveway garage session... having trouble identifying what this part is. Looks like shit so would like to replace it.

 

For the crank pulley, I'm assuming the marker is pointing at the 20th tooth which is what lines up with the crank position sensor. If the bolt hole on one of the spokes is lines up with the alignment holy on the timing cover that arrow I pressume would l point to the tooth where the CPS should be center.

That, if I'm not mistaken, looks like the supposed "vibration dampener" that goes on the speed 6 wishbone suspension at the bottom. On the lower control arm. Though, show me a picture from the other side too. But yeah, pretty certain that's the wishbone bolt dampener.

 

Ooo, take that back, it's this thing. Almost forgot about this.

 

Interesting lol. Guess I didn't realize that I even took anything off of the control arm.



Want to make sure I am on same page as you. This little sprocket thing circled here is what I am referring to with the marking on it.


Based on what you said, that marking should be facing the bottom and line up with this hole on the cover, correct?

 

The round rubber piece I think is the upper bushing from the OEM passenger motor mount.

 

When doing the timing, you've got brand new friction washer installed correct?? Absolutely no oil, or any lubricant on any of the surfaces where they go?

If you've got a copy of the install information for doing timing chains, there's nothing on the crank gear that gets lined up... There's some very specific and important steps you need to follow when doing the timing chains on these motors.. Otherwise it'll slip when you start it up, or start beating on it..