94 Miata tapping and clutch help

Hi everyone! I have a 94 Miata that I need to get back into shape. The engine is tapping alot, so any and all advice there would be greatly appreciated. Will just replacing the lifters help? Should I do all of them? I'm on a budget since I don't have a job at the moment...

Secondly, the clutch has absolutely no pressure. I've read that the clutch slave is probably a good place to start... Here's the story, I went to get in it one day and it would not come out of gear. I always park it in gear... So I pulled on it a little after pressing the clutch in a few times. It made a terrible sound like something broke. Please tell me it isn't something too expensive since I still have to deal with the tapping in the engine!

All of that being said, I don't want to do anything half-a$$ed... It is a nice car and has a decent bit of work done to it (Konig adjustables, roll bar, etc, etc). Please any and all advice is beneficial! Thank you!!!

In reply to Michele: Idk if it makes any difference, but the throwout bearing was making noise (alot) before this happened...

MeOtter lifters will get noisy due to trapped air. The possible cheap fix is a thinner, not thicker, oil to get oil into the lifters so they will 'pump up' and once that happens go back to your regularly scheduled oil. Use an 0W30 or thereabouts synthetic, drive it a few hundred miles and assuming the noise stops go back to regular mineral oil. I'd do that before throwing new lifters at it.

On the second: 'I pulled on it and there was a terrible sound'. You pulled on the shifter with the engine running and this happened? If the clutch was not releasing yes it will make gawdawful sounds.

Also, if the release bearing was making noise previously unfortunately there is no quick or easy way to replace one that I am aware of. The good thing is the bearing is not an expensive part, nor is the slave cylinder.

In reply to Curmudgeon: Well unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) I've tried both thinning the oil and thickening it. The thinner oil made it incredibly worse while the thicker oil made it better, but since it has gone back to the way it was... Crazy tapping... I've been doing a little reading, so now I'm just kind of debating the clean vs. replace...

The noise that I'm trying to describe isn't one in which when you shift without a clutch kind of noise. It was a sound like something broke. So I guess while I'm in there I'll do the throwout bearing, the clutch and might as well do the flywheel... Hopefully between all of that and the slave I should be good. I'm just worried that I broke something more major than that. Is that possible?

Sounds like my car! FYI - mine tapped and it responded to the thicker oil like yours, but eventually 3 of the lifters just flat out failed. I would look to replacing all of them when you have a chance.

As for the clutch noise, it sounds like you popped the clutch fork out. (Mine broke the clutch fork) I would start by checking the fluid, if all is well in the clutch master have a friend push the clutch pedal down and you can look for movement at the fork (passenger side of the transmission, can't miss it).

It sounds like your Miata has some great potential, just needs some maintenance.

wow.. two meotters with bad lifters in a week?

Ow. You've done the easy lifter tap fix thing already. Looks like it's disassembly time. Javelin on this forum just did all that to his.

On the 'something broke' noise: yeah I'm going to say something inside the bellhousing broke. Time to get dirty. Your parts list for that repair sounds pretty comprehensive. I can't think of anything else other than perhaps the release fork and those are not expensive.

EDIT And Javelin pops in with first hand recent experience while I was typing.

In reply to Javelin:Any suggestions where I can find lifters? I've tried ebay. I'd prefer not to pay dealer prices!

In reply to Javelin: My dad suggested filling the little resevoir thing. I didn't actually do it, by boyfriend did so I'm not 100% sure what he's talking about. I know we added fluid and tried pumping it to no avail... Guess I'll check the fork when I finally get it to a lift. Thanks!

You can find info on disassembling and cleaning the HLA's on a Miata. Did it on mine, worked fine. They used to clatter and burned a valve by sticking open. Now they no longer clatter.

Semi poor design, they gather sludge internally.

Here's the link to HLA cleaning:

The definitive Miata HLA cleaning link

I haven't found the lifters yet as I don't want to fix mine. I've heard good things about cleaning them though.

You can't just fill the clutch reservoir, you actually have to bleed the system. There's a bleeder on the slave cylinder that you have to operate to get the air out of the system. Read this for how: http://www.miata.net/garage/slavecyl.html

Rockauto.com has the Rock Products brand lifters for $12.70 each or Sealed Power for $27.79 each.

Wow! Thank you all for your help! My dad managed to drive it to his shop the other day. Now I'm just waiting on my tax refund to get her up to speed! Thanks again!!!