So after replacing the actuator solenoids on my car, I couldn't resist cutting open one of the old ones to see what's inside. The cut up one on top is laid out how it came apart. The screens weren't dirty until they rolled around on my shop table. In fact, the entire assembly was perfectly clean inside and out.
The one on the bottom is a complete unit. How it actually works (or doesn't) I'm not really sure. I'll have to do some research on that.

 

Interesting to see that.

The brownish cylindrical rod with the holes in it, must be moved up and down to change the valving in the housing, via an electrically driven solenoid in the top.

So, you gonna put it back together and put it on the shelf as a spare? Or maybe offer it to Oldblue at a good price.

 

Might be a little hard to put back together. I cut it apart with a hacksaw.

 

I don’t have any codes at this time, so, I’m good!

Nice if you to cut one open and show the class what is inside . Thank you .

 

I know this is silly, but what actuators ?
And with a car not driven much. Why did you do this ?
Curious minds want to know.
If it is what I think it is, the spool valve is controlled by varying voltage or resistance to make it move for oil flow.
The 3 "rings" are filter screens.

 

GM calls the VVT cam "phasers" "actuators". They are controlled by the VVT oil control valves that are controlled by an electronic solenoid via a PWM signal from the ECM.

The part in the pix has many names most accurate is "VVT valve/solenoid". GM can't seem to stick to one nomenclature, sometimes using the same words in different order to describe completely different parts; I think the testing for dyslexia.

 

The actuators in my SS. All SS's have them and the 2.4 and 2.2 regular HHR's with VVT too. Since I've had the P0010 code for over a year and recently it would light up the CEL every time I drove it. So, it was time to replace them. Besides, if your VVT isn't operating correctly, performance and mileage will suffer.
If you've never noticed them, stand on the passenger side and look under the air filter housing. They're right on top of the valve cover, just in front of the #1 sparkplug.
Yes, I know the 3"rings" are screen filters. If you notice in my picture I had taken them off the valve and even commented about them.

 

FireManGeorge,
First off THANKS!! I too have been curious about these. So I got a few questions. This thing is all crimped in such a way that they could never be serviced, correct? I assume there is a solenoid up in the silver cylinder? I had a couple non-working ones soaking in fuel injector cleaner since the wife 2008 SS had the codes (P0011 & P0014). My intent was to try the non-working ones, to see if the cleaner freed them up. I ended up changing the oil in the SS and the codes went away. I put the soaked ones back on the shelf. I wonder why an oil change cleared this up?

 

Actually, these are the solenoids. Like donbrew said, the actuators are bolted, one on each, to the camshafts.

 

True Randy. Just like Don said, GM has multiple names/ways to describe them.
Kind of like when people say "disc brake pads". You know they mean pads that work with the discs.
So camshaft actuator solenoid valves.........are just the solenoid valves that work with the actuators.
Don't get me started on which is the noun or pronoun or verb. I haven't had an English class since 1978 !!!

WAIT............ My head hurts now.