Timing chain kit arriving. Need advice
 

My timing chain water pump cloyes kit will arrive today. I am also replacing both rear wheel cylinders, a leaking oil pressure sensor, cleaning the throttle body (oil from the cover vent) and going to drop the transmission pan to change fluid and filter...but the timing chains are top of the list.

I have to send my daughter to town to pick up a few things. My daughters Jeep is also out of commission so we are hiring a friend to take her to town and pick up stuff. So it’s a one shot deal really. I’m going to list what I have and you guys help me out please with advice.


What I have

cloyes 94201sawp

mechanics ratchet/socket set and power bars

inch lbs and foot lb torque wrenches

32mm socket for the tensioner

one 10” vise grip

fresh oil and filter

fresh dexcool


What I intend to get in town

timing cover gasket (I neglected to get it with my kit from rockauto 😒)

hex10 socket

rental water pump holder

engine degreaser to clean the valve cover


what I need advice on

my kit does not include cam bolts. Can they be reused?

do I need a new bolt for the harmonic balancer? I’ve read it can and cannot be reused. But I reused it when I did the seal last month so I’m wondering if I should risk reusing again.

any other bolts or tools I need to get?

Should I pick up another 10” vise grip for holding the cams in place while I install as per the cloyes video?

Also should I get the 24mm wrench to use while breaking loose the cam bolts as shown on the cloyes video?

anything else u recommend while doing this job like drop the oil pan or flush the coolant etc?

thanks in advance. 😁. I’m so happy I signed with this forum. Your help has already been invaluable. 👍

I'm not sure what you need a 32 mm for. If you have the chains off you don't need the water pump tool. I would not worry about replacing any bolts, others have different opinions. If you are very careful you can reuse the gasket. Get a magnetic pick up tool. Don't forget 7 quarts of Dexron VI, the parts guy may try to sell you Dexron IV. You don't really need to hold the camshafts

That agenda may be too ambitious.

I haven't done my change yet.
The only thing I know is to pre soak the chains in oil before installation.
I don't understand the use of vice-grips to hold the cams. Just don't rotate them.
From my understanding the job can be done without removing the cam sprockets by removing the chain guides and tensioner first.
This allows enough slack in the chain so it can be removed from the crank sprocet..
Oldblue and youtube can give you all the advice you seek.

the 2.4 Ecotec and all I’ve seen says u need a 32 mm (same as oil filter housing) for the timing chain tensioner.

Good to know I don’t need the water pump tool. Every video I watched had the tool

I’ll get a gasket just in case. Would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I have the Dexron VI and a magnetic pickup tool as well as a magnetic ratchet set.

LOL. Too ambitious? Lol. Well. I don’t plan on doing all those things today. Just what I’m doing over the weekend while I have time but the timing chain is first.

The 32 mm socket would be for the timing chain tensioner, I use my 15/16 th or and adjustable wrench for the camshaft , I agree with Donbrew, reuse the camshaft and crankshaft bolts. I cut the OEM timing cover gasket so I don’t have to remove the engine mount bracket from the engine, I support the engine with a block of wood and floor jack then loosen the 3 , 15mm bolts in the upper mount then lower the engine to get that water pump bolt out

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...5ca38ab3c.jpeg
That piece across there, the water pump bolt goes through the round hole in that web that runs across the balance shaft / water pump part of the cover


Watch the video to familiarize yourself with the procedure

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/www....ad.php?t=60394


Oh, BTW there isn’t enough clearance to get the chain out if you don’t remove the cam phasers

Great. Thanks for the video link.

I’ll be taking the mount out.

i have a 15/16 wrench. I’m good there.

The water pump tool keeps the chain and sprocket in place while the pump is removed. If you replace the pump while the chain is off there is no need to hold it.

DO NOT over tighten the pan bolts, it is very easy to deform the pan and cause leaks that can only be fixed with a new pan.

understood about the water pump tool.

do not over tighten. Check. I’ll trust my torque wrenches to make sure I’m not over or under tightening anything. 👍

The 15/16" wrench fits on flats on the camshaft to prevent its rotation.

I think some of the bolts are torque-angle if I remember correctly (crank, cam bolts?) so you may need an angle indicator of some sort.

I have replaced the crank and cam bolts, but you may not find them in stock at local dealers. There are different length bolts for VVT vs non-VVT engines.

When you rotate the engine to get the timing marks at a good spot DO NOT ROTATE THE ENGINE IN REVERSE.

The harmonic balancer bolt is very tight. How are you going to hold the balancer from spinning while unscrewing the bolt? I used an impact wrench which made the job easy without holding it.

The serpentine belt can be a pain to get off because the tensioner is tight against the inner fender well.

Buy a good brand of transmission pan gasket. Some cheap ones are just neoprene and don't have the metal stiffener inside, along with the ribs on the outside.

The leaking oil pressure sender is easier to replace if you remove the starter first. It's just above the starter.

The throttle body is VERY sensitive to moving it by hand and can strip gears inside. There are a bunch of threads on how to do it safely on the forum.

Steve

This will help

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/www....ad.php?t=54648

i have an angle finder and I’ll be reusing bolts that didn’t come in my cloyes kit.

i have already changed the crankcase seal and serpentine belt earlier this year. I had my daughter wedge a pry bar in there and used a 4’ power bar to get the balancer bolt loose. I’ll do that again

changed the pressure sending unit yesterday from the top since I didn’t want to drop the starter. I have little hands. But I have the socket and a short extension. It wasn’t easy. But it got done.

transmission fluid and filter is last on my list. I’ll check what I got before I start that.

I’ll watch the throttle body vids before I start that. It’s what I’m doing right now.
I read it’s a necessity to disconnect the negative terminal before hand. That’s no big. It’s been unplugged since I started on things yesterday.

biggest thing I dealt with yesterday was the stupid drain plug. Last service was done at a shop and either they torqued it to 100 ft lbs or it swelled. I tore it up getting it out. 🤪

:twothumbs:

Got the throttle body cleaned. And the map sensor cleaned. Seems like I did more than that today too. But I forget. Lol.
Got the valve cover off. Definitely a loose chain. I didn’t think to check the chain when I did the valve cover gasket replacement earlier this month so when I got the cover off again I was so glad I was convinced to do this job by advisors on this forum.
there was a little oil at the threads of one plug when I took it out. I assume the new valve cover gasket didn’t seat well at the plug. Not in the body. Just at the threads. So I took a horrendous amount of time to clean the valve cover so the gasket will seat well on reinstall.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...e3162efde.jpeg

everything is drained and ready to get right into the chain tomorrow morning.
​​​​​​​

I just remembered what else I did today. I removed the front bumper cover and discovered every bracket has at least one catch broken and one is completely obliterated. Also have some retainers missing from the fender and wheel well areas where the bumper attaches, so I got those things ordered.
I also replaced both back wheel cylinders. One sprung a minor leak so I chose to go ahead and replace both so I won’t have to worry about them for another 150,000 miles or so.

With my cover off this engine looks a little strange. Does it appear to be tilted toward the firewall to you guys?
I just did all four mounts. That rear mount was difficult because I did the job then I couldn’t get the thing torqued right so I drove about 7 miles without proper torque to get an extension so I could torque it right. Maybe I should loosen and reset/retorque my front and rear mounts? Or am I just being paranoid?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...068a87053a.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...42b9ea3ee6.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...c3c0969121.jpg

Tilts just like any other HHR, Cobalt, G5 , Saturn Ion , I’ve worked on.

so I’m just paranoid. 🤪 Got it. 👍

:twothumbs: Kimberly- Very nice prep work, & clean rag in throttle body. Very organized as well. :twothumbs:

:cool: I could never be a pro mechanic. I spend entirely too much time reorganizing my tools. 🤣. I can’t stand to have to search for a socket so if I find myself searching I stop and put everything away before I go on. Lol.
maybe it’s just a woman thing. 😏

Guys just like buying new tools. Everybody needs 5 13mm sockets.

Beg to differ... those 10mm are GOLD ! LOL

🤣 You beat me to it. Never can have too many 10s. 🤪

Couldn’t get the intake cam bolt off. The exhaust was pretty tough. But my daughter was able to break it loose while I held the wrench. She’s a couple inches taller and about 50lbs stouter than me.

after several failed attempts by 5 people (myself and my daughter and my neighbor who came by with her husband and his friend) I came up with this.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...10382f373c.jpg

that 15/16 wrench is strapped to the front bumper

I threw my 1/2” breaker (snapped the 3/8” already) in a 4’ cheater and literally climbed on the bumper to put my whole body in it. 🤪 When it popped it sounded like a gun shot. 😂

when ur a little woman you get inventive. 😁

Get an air cooled VW and diss the 13mm. For some reason the Germans use 13 and everyone else uses 14 when "Imperial" is 1/2.

Kimberly- I am very fussy about my tools as well, I don't think it's just a woman thing. I have even painted them. My SAE ones are painted Orange, & metric are Blue, & of course have their own places in my tool boxes.
I don't stop the project tho, I just look harder for the missing one..

And I have triples of most all. I build Harley engines & trannies, so my tools are important. And especially the 10mm wrench or socket ... They like to hide. LOL

Example of how I paint my tools
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...c4ba7b6504.jpg
Rare Earth magnetic drain plug "Test"

Rare Earth, great band !

Short lived, bout 2 years, I think '70 to '72.

How do you KNOW if the tensioner engages? I put it in and got nervous that it didn’t engage so I took it out and sure enough it wasn’t. So I put it in again. The chain is tight but It looked tight when I put it in before I ever tried to engage it.

The tensioner with the bump on the outside will engage , I’ve installed several, never had one not engage. The swing arm will be impossible to move.

It’s the newest from cloyes. Am I just not bumping it hard enough? The swing arm at the top still can be moved a very little bit.

I’m almost to the valve cover. Don’t want to take it out to check again and risk pieces falling into the chain cover I’ve already installed.

update. I came out and gave it one final push and it activated. 😁. Maybe just needed a breather? Anyway, thanks for a quick reply. Time to button this up. 😋

Cranked her up and she sounded bad!

THEN I went n plugged in the maf sensor. lol

She sounds beautiful. Only thing is ... she wants to GO!! Barely touch the accelerator and she takes off. 😊😊😊

thanks for all ur help and advice 😄.

Awesome! Enjoy the drive!