1990 Mazda B2200 SE5 from North America - Comments

Engine leaked oil.

Speedometer made noise.

Exhaust system rattled.

Cylinder head cracked.

The truck was pretty slow, but the engine was quiet and ran smoothly so I bought it thinking it would last a long time. After the cylinder head cracked leaking water into number one cylinder and into the crankcase I found out that this is a common problem with this engine. So I sold the truck for $300 after paying $2000 for it 5 months earlier.

My 1991 Mazda B2200 (100,000M) seized while starting one cold morning. The engine was carefully disassembled. Number 2 piston was tight in the cylinder and had to be driven out, only to discover the problem was due to oil and sludge build up on the top ring. Cylinder head was also cracked between the valve seats on #2,#3 and #4 chamber. There was also cracks leading from exhaust valve seat to the spark plug threads. The cracks in the head did not appear to cause any immediate problem.

You mentioned the head cracked. this is common with B2200 cylinder heads (sad, but true). it seems that when they cast the aluminum for the heads, some (unsure of how many) had hidden flaws in the metal. over time, with the heating and cooling etc, the aluminum "stresses" and then cracks.

As for the sludge build up, what is your driving pattern??

Do you only drive in the city, short trips etc?

What happens during these short trips is the engine never really gets hot enough to burn off the moisture/fuel etc in the oil, to be sucked through the PCV valve to be burned off. try running a 5W30 high quality synthetic oil, and change your at least twice a year or more. the synthetic oils have a higher "detergent" additive in them that cleans better than the parrifin based petroleum oils. I currently have 183, 000 kms on my mazda, and a recent inspection inside the engine revealed zero sludge/oil deposits, only clean shiny oil galleries etc. I also would recommend a long drive at highway speeds two or three times a month for several hours, to burn any moisture out of the oil and the decarbon the combustion chambers. if your driving in the city only, change your plugs to hotter ones. cheers!!

I paid $400 for my Mazda with 227k miles on it and it still runs strong! Smokes a little on start up and goes though a quart of oil every two days, but I still enjoy the truck.

I have had my Mazda pickup since it was new in 1990 the only problems that has developed was the radiator which seems to clog up even though the fluid is replaced on a regular basis. I still enjoy the use of it, and has met my needs. I Always recommend anti seize compound on the spark plug threads when the plugs are cleaned or replaced to avoid hard removal.