Hydrocompensator - what is it? Principle of operation of the hydraulic compensator

In ICE, which were created at the dawn of the development of the automotive industry, the problems associated with thermal gaps, which increased due to the processes of valve wear, were solved with the help of an adjusting mechanism. Automechanics, who possessed the necessary knowledge, tuned every 15,000 km. And if the wear of the valves is greater, they open the cylinder head and adjust the valve mechanism.

As the development of the automobile industry proceeded, an interesting device was developed, the task of which was to maintain the valve clearances at a normal level, taking into account the accumulated wear in the timing. This development is a special pusher with springs. They can move and change their size according to the growth of gaps. This is a hydraulic compensator. What it is? Consider in the article.

Hydrocompensator now

Today, this element is a hydraulic mechanism that allows you to eliminate the effects of linear expansions in the elements of the valve drive under the influence of high temperatures.

As the car engine warms up, the elements naturally increase in size according to the laws of physics. As a result, large gaps are formed between the various surfaces that come into contact. The task of adaptation is to compensate them.

History of hydraulic compensator development

The very first engine, equipped with hydraulic compensators, was installed on the Cadillac Model 452. The car was produced in 1930, and the engine was V16. But then no one thought about the possibility of simple maintenance of engines. The real popularity of hydraulic compensators won much later, namely - in the early 80's. Then the Japanese automakers began to enter the American markets, and later conquered them.

The mechanism has proven itself well, but automakers have begun to use the device less often. This was done in connection with the trends in the economy of that time - equipping the power units with hydraulic compensators led to a complication in the design of the engine and increased the cost price. In other words, the reliability of the motor, which was the basis for Japanese manufacturers, because of economic reasons, ceased to be an important factor. Motors with the possibility of adjusting the gaps worked louder and required periodic maintenance. However, this scheme is much simpler, and therefore cheaper.

It must be said that in the domestic automobile industry they understood all the advantages that these mechanisms have. There is even an engine 4216 with hydraulic compensators - the presence of these nodes greatly facilitates the life of the owners of cars.

Today in the schemes of the auto business reliability is important - the work of the motor is monitored by specially trained specialists in technical centers, where the buyer must always apply during the warranty for the car.

Kinds

Now we know when the first hydraulic compensator appeared . What is it, we also considered. Further it is necessary to talk about varieties. Depending on the timing device, these mechanisms can be divided into several types. These are hydraulic pushers, roller hydraulic pushers, hydraulic legs, and hydraulic supports that are installed in the levers or in the rocker arm. Despite the fact that the mechanisms differ among themselves, the principle of action is one. They serve to compensate for thermal gaps between the valve tappet and the engine's camshaft. It does not matter what the hydraulic compensators are - Mercedes W124 or Kia-Sorento - the same principle is used everywhere. From the title it is clear that the mechanism needs liquid to work. This is the engine oil in the engine.

Device

We continue to consider what constitutes a hydraulic compensator. What it is? The device in automatic mode under the influence of engine oil can change its length to a size equal to the thermal gap. The parts of the hydraulic compensator must move. They are moved by the pressure of the lubricant and springs that are built into the mechanism.

Hydraulic compensator is arranged as follows. There are two main nodes. This body and a movable plunger pair. The latter is a bushing, a spring and a ball valve. As the body for the hydropushers, cylindrical pushers, cylinder head elements or lever parts on the valve drive can be used.

The main node in the hydraulic compensator is the plunger pair. The clearance between the bushing and the plunger is only 5-8 μm. This makes it possible to maintain tightness, and details - it is easy to move in it relative to each other. There is a hole in the bottom of the plunger. It is closed with a ball valve. Between the hub and the plunger is a rigid spring.

Operating principle

At the moment when the camshaft cam is located on its back side to the pusher, a thermal gap appears between the body and the shaft. The oil enters the plunger through special channels. Under the action of the spring, the plunger changes its length. Then it rises and thereby compensates for the gap. The oil is fed through the back ball valve into the cavity, which is located under the plunger. When the shaft starts turning, it will press on the pusher, thereby lowering it down. The check valve closes at this moment.

The plunger pair will work as a rigid element and begin to transfer force to the node. In the gap that formed between the bushing and the plunger, a small amount of oil comes out. As a result of the engine, the parts are heated and the length of the hydraulic compensator changes. Due to the additional oil, the volume changes. The gap is automatically compensated. Thus, hydraulic compensators on the "Opel Zafira" and other models of cars.

Typical malfunctions

As with any knots and mechanisms, hydraulic compensators have their drawbacks. The main one is the need to use higher quality oils and the use of good filters. The process of changing the clearances does not have the best effect on the hydraulic compensators.

The increase in clearance can lead to oil leakage, and with it the rigidity itself is lost. If the process is missed, then the hydraulic compensator (VAZ-2110, as, indeed, any other) will knock. To get rid of these sounds, you can fill the engine with a higher viscosity oil. This is how dishonest sellers and car dealers eliminate this knock.

How to remove knocking?

One of the reasons why the hydraulic hammers are knocking is a low lubricant pressure or oil starvation of the cylinder head. To avoid problems, it is necessary urgently to add the agent to the engine to a normal level. The knock must disappear. If the sounds continue, then the problem is in the pressure. But there is also a natural wear of the part. Here, only replacement will help. So, for example, one hydraulic compensator "Hyundai-Solaris" will cost 500 rubles. These knots in the engine are the same as the valves. In another way, this part is called a hydraulic valve pusher.

In the process of work, these elements can be clogged and coked. Then they are cleaned. It helps only if the structure of the mechanism is collapsible. It is always much easier to perform a replacement.

Conclusion

So, we found out what the hydraulic compensator is. What it is? This is a mechanism that compensates for thermal gaps in the engine. The presence of these devices eliminates the need for valve adjustment. A very useful thing.