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What is an HLA?
Posted: January 23rd, 2007, 8:46 pm
by jabber13
What does HLA stand for? Does it have another name?
Posted: January 23rd, 2007, 8:52 pm
by Tunes67
HLA = Hydraulic Lash Adjuster. They are used in OHC (overhead cam) configured engines. A similar part often referred to as a "Lifter" can be found in engines where pushrods & rocker arms are used to actuate valve movement.
Both HLA's & Lifters serve a similar purpose.. they are there to keep the proper amount of tension on the valve train components. Too little tension and your valve train makes lots of noise and your valves wont open all the way and they close to soon. Too much tension and your valve train will wear prematurely. By making the lifter or lash adjuster hydraulic.. it takes that adjustment out of the game so to speak.. they pump up to the correct "thickness" so as to keep your valve train at the most efficient tension level.
Tunes67
Posted: January 23rd, 2007, 9:05 pm
by jabber13
so...when i my engine makes a constant ticking out of one of the cylinders it means that this HLA is not adjusted properly?
Posted: January 23rd, 2007, 10:48 pm
by mazdaspeedmx_3
they are self adjusting....they could be just dirty or maybe you deflated one ...either way get something like seafoam or even kerosene and give you engine oil a couple flushes and it should help out alot ...but it should go away after a minute or two
Posted: March 13th, 2007, 9:30 pm
by Hayata
about the seafoam or the kerosene after u tried that i think that ur engine needs some over haul.. its good to listen to ur motor daily to avoid crazy repairs in the future.
love ur motor it'll love u lol

Posted: March 13th, 2007, 11:16 pm
by mazdaspeedmx_3
i'm willing to put money on it being your timing belt tensioner
mine was always loud and i thought it was the hla's.....i put a new oneon from mazda and it quiet as hell no tick whatsoever ...even when you rev it up when you under the hood
i have my hla's out right now ...because i'm puttin in my kl31 cams
i could send you some pictures of them...they are actually simple little things
try some seafoam in your engine ...if that doesn't quiet them down guaranteed its your timing belt tensioner
Posted: March 20th, 2007, 11:10 pm
by Hayata
mazdaspeedmx_3 wrote:i'm willing to put money on it being your timing belt tensioner
mine was always loud and i thought it was the hla's.....i put a new oneon from mazda and it quiet as hell no tick whatsoever ...even when you rev it up when you under the hood
DUDE OMFG I THINK UR FUKIN RIGHT MAN!!!!!!!!
because im having the same friggen problem too

like i on good days my car would purrrrr and some like today... TICK TICK TICK TICK between idle and 2500rpm then goes away at any engine temperature...
TIMING BELT TENSIONER damn ur smart MAN! it makes perfect sense!
if it aint adding any tension to the timing belt it would throw off the timing on other parts of the engine and i think its the area where its TICKING.. i have been hearing these scratchy noises like a pulley bearing was startin to break... i couldn't find it like around the accessory belts or what not.. SO I LEFT IT for couple of months..now i think its in the timing belt area where i couldnt see.. THE TENSIONER!!! ^_^ damn man u MADE MY DAY im gonna fix it first thing tommorow!!
Posted: March 21st, 2007, 7:45 pm
by Steve_SK
I made picture from both sides of HLA for you, I have some of them at home and set of 24 (Mazda modified >95) in my garage.

This one is older, from 1993 Mazda 626 1.8 liter.
If you use 15" inch LCD with 1024x768 pix, then this picture is approx. 1:1 size of the real HLA.
Posted: March 22nd, 2007, 9:37 pm
by mazdaspeedmx_3
hahahaha try you have a picture of the Lifter with the hla sittin in it
the hla is the center part you have to pull it out of the lifter
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 1:47 am
by Steve_SK
Check EPC how this part is called, then write something about the picture. You probably need a picture of tappet as well to see the difference. Anyway, remove it yourself on your part if you want.

This is just to show how it looks like, better than write it in million words..
Znova som sa dostal na forum medzi pouhych uzivatelov.. ah.
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 5:29 pm
by mazdaspeedmx_3
GDE MOIO PEAVA SUKA!
Я дам вашей маме, что я в долгу доллара из ее прошлой ночью спустя
I took the actual HLA's completely aart to clean them...maybe you shuld be the one to do alittle more reading
maybe in your russian books its all one thing....if that whole assembly is the hla then where are the lifter?
look on probetalk there is a wordperfect document on how to take apart the hla's to clean them
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 6:25 pm
by Steve_SK
Oh, one advice, take a map and check where my country is.

Anyway, we don't speak Russian here, but I know Russian, as well as Polish, Czech, German, Croatian, English and my own language. :wink So I understood what you copied in your post from somewhere. Anyway, you probably don't have Mazda EPC2 catalogue, when I have a little time, I will make screenshot for you of the part we're discussing about and you will see the whole part is called HLA.

I really don't know why I put my energy and effort in making the picture and sending it here..
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 6:34 pm
by Tunes67
The HLA IS the Lifter. Read my post above. Lifters are used in engines that do NOT employ a OHC (overhead cam) design. HLA's are used in OHC engines. Yet they both function in a similar manner.
Tunes67
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 6:49 pm
by Steve_SK
Tunes67 wrote:The HLA IS the Lifter. Read my post above. Lifters are used in engines that do NOT employ a OHC (overhead cam) design. HLA's are used in OHC engines. Yet they both function in a similar manner.
Tunes67
Hope this is for mazdaspeedmx3.. Because I really don't need explanation what is what.

Do not want to say why (at the moment).
Posted: March 23rd, 2007, 8:32 pm
by Suresperance
lets not argue please this fourm is to help people not bicker. any ways im having the same kinda ticking sound maybe its coming from over around the timing belt i was wondering some of you said it had some thing to do with the belt ... how much is that to get fixed and it is nessisary??