HLA, what are they, why do they tick, how to clean them, dissassemly/reassembly......

[Silver_Bullit]

Originally posted by anthony s
MUST agree with you there, in the winter, i would get major HLA tap BUT if i shut the car off, wait a fw seconds, restart, it will more than 80% of the time, stop the tapping.

so oil starvaton is a BIG issue

just giving a heads up..

Yes, oil starvation in these engines is a BIG problem.

Now that I've done this, and after about 4K miles and an oil change (oil change @ 3K miles, religiously ) , the HLA's don't tap at all after driving for 10 min or more. There is still some tap on startup and while cold, but that is to be expected i guess.

Now all I can hear under the hood is the rotor arking across to the cap and the FGS wining away.

~Silver

[lowerdfool]

I'm interested to see what this will do in the summer time with a 10 to 15 minute idle. Has anyone ever thought about running an external oiling system along with the weak oem oil pump ford put in from the factory.

[Silver_Bullit]

Originally posted by lowerdfool
Has anyone ever thought about running an external oiling system along with the weak oem oil pump ford put in from the factory.

Thought about it, yes.

Done it, no.

~Silver

[JuLiE's95PgT]

oook...ive read most of this thread...and i have to say..it is one of the most informative and in depth threads ive seen

thanks!!

now i have a question, i have a ZE and i have done some head work (replacing a bent valve and a few of the HLAs) as most of you know, the ZE HLAs are the same as the 98+ Kia Sportage HLAs. my car has been reallly loud since the head work and just recently..ive had some problems...misfiring and very hesitant but doesnt run HORRIBLE.(not nearly as bad as when i bent a valve) i plan on taking all the HLAs out and squatting them to see if that takes care of the problem. now i wonder, would the procedure be the exact same for the ZE HLAs? if anyone lives local and would like to come help...i would appreciate it

any input is appreciated.

thanks

jules

[Silver_Bullit]

Julie/Jules,

My first suggestion would be to shim the oil pump, not remove all of your HLA's and clean them. As it is a real PITA.

When I did this write-up I didn't remove my HLA's, I just dismatled one that is part of the set for my spare pair of heads. (spare parts rule )

When I shimmed the oil pump however, the HLA tick deminished by a good 70% after the first 250 miles.

A side note, do you have an aftermarket OPSU and an aftermarket guage? If so what is your current oil pressure?

~Aaron

The Oil pump shim procedure is in my sig!

[94PGTJMc]

i have never heard such a loud tick come from any engine. My motor is rebuilt w/new core and has about 2500 miles on it. i never noticed the tick so much b4 the rebuild. i have a bad EGR valve, now would that have anything to do with it besides everything mentioned in this thread already. my mechanic says the KL03 is designed to run with 10w40 and that is what is in it now.
could somebody just give me the steps in what needs to be done to quiet down the tick.

[TurnHugginPGT]

One thing (no guarantees, and most of you are probably doing this anyway) is to move to a thinner oil, an SAE 5W or 10W-30. This allows the oil to be pumped faster to the hydraulic lifters and develop the pressure needed to adjust the lifters......

I can second this. I have a friend who is an ASE certified master mechanic of just about everything I've seen his card. According to him Hyundai's and Mitsubishi's have this same problem, he suggests not taking them appart but running a low viscosity high detergent oil to break down the oil that has glazed to the inside of the HLA. I run 20W50 Valvoline Synpower cause my ZE sees redline everyday and I could use the extra protection. He says that should work fine but when I get a tick I need to run some low vis oil. Driving it about three miles on one quart of high detergent oil should be enough. Give it a try I havn't yet but I will, don't blame if it doesn't work. By the way what are everyone's thoughts on Valvoline.

[Silver_Bullit]

Originally posted by TurnHugginPGT
I run 20W50 Valvoline Synpower cause my ZE sees redline everyday and I could use the extra protection.

Drop to 10w40 at the most, and run that only during the summer, 10w30 or 5w30 in the winter.

When I first got my PGT I ran 20w50 for about 9K miles. Big mistake. I am just now geting the internals cleaned back out, after 25K or so of running Syntec.

20w50 won't give you anymore protection than 10w40 will, the oil has the same lubricating principles. In fact, 20w50 will cause more problems due to how hard it is to pump. @ high RPM the oil pump can't push the oil fast enough so that it will flow through the very small oil passages in the KL engine. Old engines (pre-1980ish) run higher vis oils because of their larger tollerances. They had much larger gaps between the main journals and rod journals, and between the cam and brearings. They also had monster oil ports unlike today.


~Aaron

[TurnHugginPGT]

Thanks

[Pete165]

Originally posted by TurnHugginPGT
Driving it about three miles on one quart of high detergent oil should be enough. Give it a try I havn't yet but I will, don't blame if it doesn't work.

Is that even safe?!?!?


-Pete-

[SteveS]

It'll be OK to use a high detergent oil like an API CH-4 SAE 15W-40 engine oil, it'll also have passenger car credentials.

But to get rid of the HLA/tappet tick use a high quality passenger car motor oil (PCMO) API SJ or SL SAE 5W-30.

For those in the States use Texaco Havoline Formula SAE 5W-30, those in Europe use Texaco Havoline Energy SAE 5W-30.

Take it from someone who has spent 20 years in the technical side of the lubrication industry

[John Arnold]

HLA or hydraulic lifter Noise

HLA ticking is a huge problem for us. For those who have this problem this is a sure fire way to correct it without tearing down the motor. I was surfing and ran across a tech page on the KL motor. I had about 100k on mine and during the winter started getting the ticks. This article stated to never use oil filters from Fram or others that do not have a good anti drain back system in them. It also suggested to not use CAstrol Syntec if you use a synthetic. They suggestd to use only Ford or Mazda filters which if you look inside you will see a spring mechanism. Wix has this also. Looking inside a Fram and all there is, is a hole to the bottom. It also stated to use a true synthetic like Mobil 1 or Amsoil, next best Valvoline Synpower. I had been using Frams and Castrol. Could not beleive I could be so unlucky. Anyway I switched to a Ford filter and actually went to Maxlife Valvoline. I am leaking to much to use 5.00 per quart oil. It worked! I was amazed! It did however take about a week to stop. I now have 160k mile on it and no ticks! Save yor money don't tear down your motor.

[Silver_Bullit]

Not to sound like an ass, but this topic (which oil/filter) has been discussed to death.

Why does everyone say that there needs to be a drainback valve? If you have had this engine apart even alittle, you will see that it won't matter. For one, the oil filter is verticle. For two, the oil ports are sloping downhille for about 4" before they reach the oil filter, so it can never loose oil while the engine is off.

Oil filter brand is determined by personal preference, along with oil brand.

I personally use Castrol Syntec 10w-30 and A Fram TG7317 filter.

If you think that FRAM and Castrol can't keep this engine clean, look at my write-up on the 3mm oil pump shim in the archive. For 150K mile engien it is VERY clean.

Again, not to sound like an ass, but it is all personal preference. I just posted this to show how to dissassemble/reassemble and clean the HLA's nothing more.

Also, HLA tick isn't caused by the brand of oil, or the filter, it is caused by one of two things.
1) Oil starvation due to the weak OEM oil pump and low pressure that it puts out.
2) Deposites building up in the head oil ports and in the HLA oil ports thus causing #1 to happen.

~Aaron

[John Arnold]

HLA noise

Ok you have delved into this alot more than I, I admit, but the bottom line is that it worked!
Esplain Lucy to me why it was not my solution then?
It may also depend on where you live temperature wise. I am in the midwest where temps go from -2 to over 100 degrees. In the winter is when I had most of the problems. I always ran Castrol Syntech at the time 10-30 in the winter. As you say, maybe the weak pump with thick oil?

[Silver_Bullit]

Re: HLA noise

Originally posted by John Arnold
Ok you have delved into this alot more than I, I admit, but the bottom line is that it worked!
Esplain Lucy to me why it was not my solution then?
It may also depend on where you live temperature wise. I am in the midwest where temps go from -2 to over 100 degrees. In the winter is when I had most of the problems. I always ran Castrol Syntech at the time 10-30 in the winter. As you say, maybe the weak pump with thick oil?

I live in Maine. Temps usually range from -40* in the winter to 100*F in the summer.

The biggest problem in my opinion is the weak oil pump yes.

What weight oil did you swap from and what weight oil did you swap to? If you went from 10w-40 to 10w-30 or even 5w-30 then that will explain why the HLA tick has dissepered. Jeff (Fastest95PGT) noticed that the engine made more noise and that the oil pressure dropped considerably when he swapped to (IIRC) Royal Purple from Mobil one. Both were 10w-30.

~Aaron