HLA's and my headache
 

let us start of by saying I don't want to replace all my HLA's, I just want to replace the ones that are bad and get my car working right. These things are $17 a piece and that is money I could use for a diff or a turbo.

So my saga started when I bought this Miata with 294xxxKMS and drove it hard for a bit, ticktickticktickticktick. I did a full service on my HLA's on both the intake and exhaust side, Complete disassembly and soaking in cleaner and reassembly. I still had one really loud lifter at that point, so I bought one lifter and pulled the valve cover on a cold motor. Sure enough exhaust #1 valve 1 was very springy. I replaced it and drove the car home, thinking I would be done of this.

Fast forward the tick came back so this time I got the motor really hot and pulled the cover(last time engine was cold) I found another on #4 that was soft so I replaced it. Done for sure this time.

Track day yesterday, car starts ticking like crazy. So what gives? I have been pulling the cams and pushing down on these things but can't track down the one, even though I have found some that even after a cleaning won't hold.

How do you check your HLA's or is this something I will just have to get used to? I have some that ever so slightly depress(i am taking like a couple thou or so) but even the new one I put in does that so I am thinking that is normal. Teach me your ways so I can be rid of this racket. Currently running Amsoil but after searching Rotella T6 is what I should be rocking?

That ticking noise is normal and there is no way to completely remove it without switching to solid lifters. You can buy replacement lifters from Kia for about $6 a piece I believe. Searching m.net will net you the exact part number that you need, it might even be the same as Mazda.

I have a set of HLAs laying around if you want to buy them. Swapping them out isn't that bad.

Try blue bottle Rotella before you do anything else. That worked for me when I tracked my 1.6 and when I daily-drove my 1994. It works for most track gays too.

If you're running this car at the track with no oil cooler...there is your first problem.

blue bottle rotella is T6 synth 5w-40?

Yes. "Synthetic" means nothing these days. If you know enough to know that the difference in group 3 and group 4 is functionally nothing, you will realize this too.

Was just double checking the gallon I picked up yesterday was the right one;)

I'm going to do UOAs for my daily and see which oil makes the most sense for a street car, but only the Rotella oils.

Please do.
I saw a thread where you mentioned using the white bottle t5 10-30 iirc. I'd like to know which is better for a daily.

/threadjack

I found better anti ticking properties from the non synth Rotella, but that's probably just specific to my car. I'd say white over blue though. Plus it's cheap cheap cheap. I have all replaced aftermarket ebay HLA's from my rebuild several years ago ($150 for the set, and look as good as OEM). Still tick OP, it's like everyone said, deal with it. I have found that a lot of my ticking is at idle. My oil pump isn't flowing enough to keep them supplied fully at idle. If I bump my idle revs up to 1000-1200, it goes away. More so when the oil starts getting over the 1500 mile mark or so. So when I'm in line for fast food, or at a long light, the ticking will creep up and starts getting really loud and obnoxious. Sounds like just one culprit HLA out of the batch, but fuck finding it.

Ben said blue bottle rotella kills cats (zinc)
Emilio said the same thing (zinc eats cats)

So is the general consensus: white bottle rotella for stock cars and blue bottle rotella for catless turbo/track cars?

I'm having second thoughts about this blue bottle now. Smog is coming up in less than a year, and car still has minty fresh oem cat. Think I'll hold off on blue bottle til its catless

is the white bottle one the T5?
or the regular?

My local wally world only has t6 or regular (whatever that means) 15-40

lol @ anyone running a cat.

The car is bone stock.

"Bone stock" means "naturally aspirated", right?

Yeah, as in "I haven't even touched anything under the hood of this car yet and am stockpiling parts that will go on as soon as I do my next smog" bone stock.

Which will be early next year from what it looks like.

Don't want to destroy oem cat in the meantime running t6 synth.

Unless I'm overthinking things and being paranoid.....like someone I know:giggle:

All Rotella T from what I understand has higher levels of zinc than most other oils

correcto-mundo.

so the question everyone should be asking is not which is best, because its right up there with some of the best, but whether you have a cat you care about or not