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ok, so the valves are getting loud on my car...(least it sounds like my valves)

theres no easy way to fix this is there?

guess this, and if anything else happens, will give me a reason to finally get my lazy butt to do the engine swap :p

Ticking noise?

HLA tap.

haha um valve shims? ..no easy way i dont suppose

yah ticking
... changed the oil, seems to have gone away, maybe that was what it was...

Welcome to my world Carman LOL Your HLA's do the same thing mine do.. Once your oil starts to lose its viscosity (gets thinner) your HLA's (Hydraulic Lash Adjusters) no longer stay pumped up with oil. The result is that ticking sound you hear. Mine does the exact same thing.. change the oil.. no ticking for about 1300 miles.. then it ticks in the mornings and especially after warm start ups.

I recently came across some information that could make this more of an issue beyond just being really annoying. Granted I dont know if this can directly effect our various MX-3 engines.. however, a friend of mine with a Eclipse had his lifters ticking and his knock sensor was picking up the noise and behaved like the timing was too advanced.. so it would retard his timing.. thus robbing him of gas mileage and horse power. I honestly cant tell you if the effect his Eclipse suffered can also happen to our engines.. I do know however.. that I have moved my HLA replacement plan up to the top of my cars maintenance priority list just in case. By the way.. You can find more information here: http://www.mazda323performance.com/forum2.htm

Its a sticky under the b6t part that the title is
tick tick tick.

Also.. noted in that thread is that someone had a plugged PCV valve.. which as pressure in the crankcase increased.. air was forced into the lifters causing the tick.. I know that isnt the case with my engine since I have replaced my PCV recently.. but if you havent replaced yours recently.. you might give it a shot.. cheaper than buying a new set of lifters.. Cheers and I hope this helps.

Tunes67