I enjoy reviewing specs on other 2 liter engines and I ran across something interesting on the Mopar homepage about the Neon’s motor. Apparently they also have HLAs as well. Now the PT Cruiser shares most of its drive-train with the Neon. The major difference is that they up the displacement in the Cruiser (I think it is 2.4) by increasing the cylinder bore. Now both engines use HLAs and they are interchangeable. The reason that they do this is because the PT Cruiser HLA system is stronger and they add some sort of extra hole to allow more oil to flow into them.
Those lucky Dodge guys have Mopar to thank for this discovery. The HLA swap is even listed in the Mopar parts catalog. Now to my point:

Does anyone have any idea if the 2.4 liter from the Sonata has HLA. I’m betting it does. Are those components any better than the ones in the Beta? When I say better are they stronger or allow better oil flow than the beta? We have discovered that the 1.8 cam is an improvement maybe this will help as well. I know that the HLAs are even a greater concern to you guys looking at forced induction. I also know that it has been discovered that the new Elantra head is a good swap because of its’ improved valve train. This simply might be a cheaper fix than swaping entire head out.
Now I must ask you guys that really know what your talking about to research this.
Thanks,
Jon


eek.gif

 

If anything, you could do a head swap to the new 2001 Elantra beta motor. It does not have HLA's. You would have to swap out the entire head though.

The problem with your theory is that the 2.4L Sonata motor is not a BETA motor, it is a Sirius engine. They are barely distant cousins.

I'm not sure of the HLA design is the same, or if they are the same dimentions.

What is the point behind switching HLA'S? Strength usually isn't the problem with HLA's...the limitation is simply the speed that oil can be squirted into them to keep them "inflated" that is the limiation. At high RPM, the HLA's just can't get inflated fast enough.

 

HLA's are only weak if you use some nasty lumpy cams ( read REALLY nasty lumpy ) or rev past the limiter ( ie for those who want to defeat it DON"T! ). There are no stronger HLA's just solid lifters like the new beta II head, which poses it's own limitations. I did have HLA problems, but that's due to NOS, cams and bouncing off the limiter on juice, any other motor would have blown.

 

Mmm...head swapping to the new Beta. THIS sounds like a very good idea to me. How much do you think all the parts needed would run for this? I assume that you'd need the head, the new non-HLA valves, springs, and runners. What else? It'd be worth the while since you had the head off to do the cam swap, but would you NEED to? All the ECU stuff would remain the same, right?

 

I beleive that RED did some in depth research on the new Beta head. Basicly you take yours off and replace it with the "complete" new beta head. Don't buy just the casting. You would need the entire valve train. Since these heads are very new the cost of buying one dould be very pricey.
The HLA swap idea was in the spirt of saving a few bucks but getting a better internals. I don't know any well informed Neon owners that could tell me what the benifits are to their swap. That's not to say there are not any well informed neon owners, I just don't know any.
Basicly this is a dead issue if the engines are incompatible. Thanks for the input.

 

My Best guess for a cheap swap would be to buy a junkyard 2001 Elantra beta motor, then just do the head swap.