You'd think it's hard work or something...

[rexspeed]

Jeez, with the frequency of my posting to my journal, you'd think it was hard labor. So easy to forget to do when no one is reminding you. So easy to tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow. Oh well, it's been over a month since my last post and since my wife and sister are able to remember to post every week, I thought I oughta write something

Comments

[undycat]

Do you think the bad oil will cause any problems in the long run?

I'm that way about sewing. If I'm not in the mood, I end up doing shoddy work and not wanting to go back.

[rexspeed]

The bad oil in there shouldn't have caused too much long term trouble. It was simply too thin for how hard and hot I was running it. The slightly lower pressure due to this caused the hydraulic valve lifters to lose firmness, causing lots of valve racket. The smoking was the result of a bad PCV allowing oil to get sucked into the intake manifold under hard cornering.

Lessons learned: 5W-30 generic store-brand oil was not a good idea for the Miata, even if it was free. PCV valves are wear-items and need replacing every couple of seasons.