so whats the web sight of the picture you posted of the camshaft followers for $5.75 ?

 

Those are different pictures then your first.

This engine has a lot of problems.

You are now looking at removing the head and doing a valve job and replacing many associated parts.


The engine was run overheated , low on oil and a long time of not changing the oil .

The coolant may have been drained and only water used at some point as well.

if you had posted these pictures first I would have likely recommended not to waste your time or money and if the rest of the Mazda is in fair condition to find a replacement engine. But if the engine looks like this chances the transmission is not in much better condition??

 

Well that's the worst news. I was hoping I could pull the head and maybe replace the damaged valves, springs, followers and seals. I don't know how much a machine shop would charge to clean and rebuild the head. If the block isn't cracked or warped maybe I can save it. This engine was supposedly replace 4 years ago, the shop that did the work charged the previous owner $3,400 for the "new" engine and labor. It was replaced because the previous owner neglected the oil changes. Apart from the oil mess around the oil cooler and filter area, I didn't see any signs of oil or coolant leaks around the block. I have a bunch of new parts that I've bought from Rock Auto to fix all the trouble codes I got when we received the car. Codes were: P0192, P0134,P0303, P0128, P0101, P0012, P0126, P0303. So far I've changed the plugs and coils, O2 sensor, and the thermostat. I cleared the codes, ran the engine at idle for 5 minutes and all the codes returned. I suspected timing or maybe a worn timing chain, That's when I removed the valve cover and found all the burned oil on the valves.
I think the turbo is also bad, I have lots of oil residue in the intake manifold and outside the throttle body.
Funny you mentioned about the water used for coolant because when I changed out the thermostat for P0126 & 0128 codes I noticed the coolant looked a bit diluted, not the typical green I'm used to seeing. How could you tell by looking at the pictures that water was used in the coolant system, that's pretty good CSI stuff .
Any chance the block might still be salvageable and the head is where all the damage occurred? I'm trying to stay positive here but I don't want to keep throwing money and time down a bottomless hole.

 

Aside from decades of experience i also owned and operated an engine performance machine shop.
It is to bad you did not join this forum sooner. I would not have recommend changing any part based on finding DTCs. That is not exactly what they are for.
Un protected coolant (mostly or completely water) was at some pint run through the cooling system which cause both high density and low density rust on iron parts of the block.
IDK for some reason I am suspicious if the engine was actually even replaced by the other shop as you stated?
If you look at the Turbo feel the turbine wheel which has the main shaft and see if there is side to side play. Also the color of parts is an indicator of its condition and an added possible clue to what happened to this terminally failing (failed) engine.

I would recommend to STOP replacing parts and any parts you have replaced when you do decide to change out the engine clen them completely.

You can use this phrase and see what available to you on the internet.
"used engines with warranty"

I also suggest that you look into the condition of the transmission.

Your well-intended project may be a big money pit?

 

I also question whether or not this engine was really replaced.
Do you have any idea how I could find out if this is the original engine or was it really changed out?

 

Maybe this??

Mazda Engine numbers - 220 numbers for 962 Mazda car models

The other would-be detective work.... look at the bolts on the engine and transmission to engine also the exhaust manifold at the mounting point of the head. If all these fasteners have distinctive makes having been removed, it would be a strong conclusions one way or another? Oh also the majority of mechanic don't clean there tools very well like sockets. Grease and grim left on them will also transfer on a clean virgin from the factory fastener. Also, if the engine compartment is fairly cleaned most shops when they do an engine R&R are not very careful to protect engine compartment parts that need to be either unbolted and moved to the side or completely removed.