So my pesky cylinder 6 has been a thorn in my side ever since I bought the wagon about a year and a half ago. A few months after I bought it it misfired on 6 so I replaced all the coils and plugs like I planned to anyhow. The wagon has always been an oil drinker, and I was smelling burning oil after running it hard, but a month or so ago it misfired on 6 bad, enough that the plug wasn't usable. I thought, it's been a year so I'll put in a new plug and not worry. Two weeks later, it misfired again and I knew what had to be done: valve cover gaskets. I really don't like cracking the engine open but it's really a life or death situation for the motor. Luckily, the front three cylinders are very easy compared to the back 3.
Thanks to @bluedevil6 and his fantastic guide, it wasn't bad at all and it was incredibly satisfying cracking the cover's seal and peeling it off ? You can maybe tell from the picture that cylinder 6 had more crud around it where oil was likely seeping into the plug tube. The only worry I had is that every bit of plastic under the hood is incredibly brittle due to age. I cracked a couple tabs and even damaged a wire, but nothing a little (or lot) of electrical tape can't fix!
So after a day of driving, I haven't smelled any oil at all and no CEL. I'm hoping that oil consumption has slowed or even stopped. Fingers crossed!
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Not 100% sure... but does your v6 have roller finger followers with the pivot points being hydraulic valve clearance compensators (like the Ford Duratec was in my '98 Mystique)...or are they direct acting mechanical bucket /shim lifters? Do u have the water pump drive off the frt bank intake cam?
Not 100% sure... but does your v6 have roller finger followers with the pivot points being hydraulic valve clearance compensators (like the Ford Duratec was in my '98 Mystique)...or are they direct acting mechanical bucket /shim lifters? Do u have the water pump drive off the frt bank intake cam?
Can’t help much with the oil consumption, as I don’t use oil like the typical 3.0s I only go through about 1/2 to 1 quart between my 4K oci’s, I think that has to do with my mystery leak on the upper front of my engine.
But I can say I haven’t been in a while and the wagon is looking really good!!
Can’t help much with the oil consumption, as I don’t use oil like the typical 3.0s I only go through about 1/2 to 1 quart between my 4K oci’s, I think that has to do with my mystery leak on the upper front of my engine.
But I can say I haven’t been in a while and the wagon is looking really good!!
The wagon's cloudy lenses have been persistent through these past couple years. I've come to the conclusion that if they're REALLY hazy like mine, any attempts to clear them by hand polishing will be temporary at best. So I went with the "nuclear option," the 3M "heavy duty" headlight polishing kit that requires use of a power drill for the pads. It works. Before:
Horrible, right? After:
I added my signature blend of waxes after to hopefully protect the shine.
@MazdaMetalhead looks great! You are really going to appreciate that come nightfall. I found mine stayed that way for about 4-6 months before they got cloudy again. I decided to spray them with a UV resistant clear but they ended up orange peeling quite a bit. I was able to sand out a lot of it but I think in the end I will have to replace the covers. I'll just add that to the list. The longer...and longer... list.
Finally swapped the warm weather wheels on and gave the wagon a wash this week. I also ended up repainting the "mustache" the body color. It really does look better than the chrome.
Thanks! I've been lusting after 70s dual sports for a couple years. They're just beautiful and also last forever. I briefly had a Chinese CT70 clone but didn't like it. So this came along and I made it mine! Runs beautifully.
The hitch is a 1.25". It's a sketchy looking setup since with the carrier and bike it's right at the tongue weight limit, but I didn't have any problems on the 80-mile trip and it feels solid. If I think of it I'll get some underside photos.
As of May 18th, I'm now the proud owner of a 2018 GT Reserve. Deep Crystal Blue with Black interior. :)
It turns out that it's currently the only 6 in upstate NY with the model/color combo, it had to be transplanted to me from Buffalo. 3 days and over 200 miles later, the smile has gone...
As many of you know, I have a thing for the wagons! I know there's a number of you out there but I don't see many photos of them on here so I thought I'd start a wagon photo thread. All gen's are welcome. Post updates and random shots as you update your ride.
SHOW ME YOUR WAGON!
Thought I would create this thread to share the things I have done and will do to my 6 and hopefully get some tips or suggestions as well.
The things the car still needs:
Front seats (both were torn when I bought it)
A complete paint job (just look at some of the pictures...its rough) COMING...
Post up a couple pics of your Mazda’s journey! Mine are how I found her, getting her road ready again and then as she sits currently. Here’s old Betty and her metamorphosis:
Mz6GreyGhost · updated 
waughoo · updated 
bluedevil6 · updated 
DrBoom · updated 
