Information for First Time Buyers

Many first time buyers are concerned about known issues for the vehicle they are interested in and in many cases are misinformed by the buyer or other. This page has been written so first time buying can find out and check for known issues or misuse before buying a 1986-1993 B2200 or B2000 which are the two trucks refered to in this page.

Mazda pickup truck engine displacement is designated by the model number, hence a B2200 should have a 2.2 Liter engine in it from the factory. The engines in the B2200 and B2000 are very similar in design and are very robust if properly maintained. Most knowledgeable owners if they have baught a truck in good condition or restored one to good condition usually have very few if any problems with their truck.

Timing Belt

What is commonly heard from buyers is that the owner decided to replace the timing belt either because it was due for a change or because it broke and couldn't get the truck running afterwards. These trucks do NOT have an interferance engine so if the timing belt broke no damage has been done to the pistons or the cylinder head. For an amature mechanic replacing the timing belt should only take a few hours and some simple tools. Someone with a lot of experience can possably change it in as little as 15 minutes. Checking the timing can be done easily while looking over the truck, all you need is a 21mm wrench or socket, 10mm socket, and phillips screwdriver. The procedure can be found on the Timing Check page.

Lifter Tick

Another pest to many Mazdas including some of the Miata and sedans along with the trucks is lifter tick. Most of the 86-93 trucks have hydraulic lash adjustors which are prone to a mild tick, especially after sitting for atleast 2 days. As long as this tick is mild and/or goes away after warm up it is simply an annoyance and not a major issue. Many times this issue starts because of neglect, owners will fail to keep up with oil changes, use cheap filters, and oil or use the wrong viscosity of oil. To help reduce a lifter tick or prevent one from happening an oil filter with an anti-drainback valve should be used. Fram filters are generally not recommended. Favored brands of oil are Mobil and Valvoline using 10w-40 or thicker oil most of the time depending on climate. Penzoil typically does run very well and may cause lifter problems from my experience. If a hydraulic lash adjustor needs to be replaced they run for about $10-$16 a piece and are typically replaced as a set. Earlier B2000s had mechanical rocker arms,it is normal for these to have a slight ticking by design and they require a lash adjustment about once or twice a year. Many times people with problematic hydraulic lash adjustors will switch to the mechanical since they are more reliable, solid, and lighter which helps with performance a little. The each mechanical rocker arm with adjustor cost about the same as the hydraulic lash adjustors themselves which often makes them more economical as well. Details on the conversion are on the Mechanical Rocker Arm Conversion Page.

Bottom End

The bottom end is pretty stout and will take a LOT of abuse, I have not heard of a bottom end failure that was not caused by operator error or an incompetent mechanic. The failures I have mostly heard have been caused by, not maintaining oil level, not torqing critical engine bolts to spec, and incompetent engine building resulting in loss of oil pressure, spun bearings, and connecting rod failures. If you are concerned about the condition of the bottom end there are things you can ask the seller and tests to perform to help ease your mind. Ask the seller what type of brand and weight of oil they used, how often oil was changed and if the filter was changed with every oil change. Be suspicious if the oil has just been changed, smells like fuel, or is milky in color. If you have a mechanical oil pressure gauge cheking oil pressure from cold all the way after warm up and through 4,000 rpm would be a good check. Do a compression check and both dry and wet leak down test. Make sure the battery has a full charge and to remove all the spark plugs before doing the compression check, compression should be atleast 125 psi unless the owner has installed a performance cam in which case it is normal to have slightly lower readings. Members in the forum have often posted about accidently bouncing the engine off about 7,000 rpm after losing traction for one reason or another and have not reported any problems afterwards.

Rust in Fuel Tank

This is atributed to old age. Common symptoms are hard start, rough idle, quiting when the tank is below half, quiting when going up or down hill or around corners, poor acceleration, or no start. Many times these symptoms may go away after the truck has sat for several minutes. If the seller has not mentioned a problem checking the fuel filter for rust may reveal a potential problem in the future. The filter will either be located on the passenger side fender or underneath the bed by the tank. Simply changing the filter will not fix the problem. If you suspect this will be an issue blow out the lines into the tank using compressed air, drain and drop the tank then clean the inside of it. Install a new fuel filter, take the air horn off the carb to clean out the float bowl and blow out the main jets with compressed air. This should fix the problem.

Clogged Cats

Glogged cats are often a result of old age or out of tune carb. Symptoms may be quiting, no start, lack of power, overheating, water or carbon deposits in air filter, and vacuum cleaner sound. The fast an easy check is to temporarily disconnect the PAIR injection tubes hooked to the air breather and see if running conditions improve. If this is the case repair the carburetor then fix the exhaust.

Vacuum Leaks

Common issues noticed are poor idle, stalling, or failed emissions. This is often caused by old cracked lines or by someone who has fiddled with them and didn't know what they where doing. Refer to the Vacuum Diagram Page to trace your lines.

As with buying any used vehicle from an individual after you get it home you should do a complete tune up including engine oil and filter, pcv, pcv filter, air filter, transmission fluid and filter if automatic, differential fluid, radiator fluid, plugs (NGK highly recommended), plug wires, rotor button, distributor cap (the one with brass terminals from NAPA).



Last updated: 05/21/06