rorr

Hi All,
Not really a request for advice, just wanted to share my experience.
I recently caught the HHR bug and quickly found a 2009 SS 5 speed in PA. Picked it up for a great price and it needed a new clutch. The engine also made a clacking noise in the timing chain area, so I knew it needed help there too. With only 93K miles on it, I wasn't too worried. I installed a LUK clutch kit and it drove nice, put over a thousand miles on it.
It threw a code for the intake VVT actuator solenoid and when I pulled it out to check it, I saw this:

The exhaust solenoid was a Dorman brand and looked fine, so I just replaced the intake one and the chain clacking quieted up, some...
I figured I better address the timing chain issue, so I ordered the 2 Cloyes kits - the balancer chain kit and the cam chain kit.
Pulled the valve cover off and found this:

Uh oh...
Pulled the rest of it apart and found this:

Needless to say, these are NOT all the pieces of the drive side chain guide...double uh oh...
I discovered there was no bolt where the upper part of this guide mounts (the one behind the plug in the block). So, I initially thought GM had left the bolt out - however unlikely that may seem. But, I then inspected the plug and found the evidence of the bolt actually backing out:

Since I could not find all of the pieces of chain guide and the missing bolt, I have to assume they are in the bottom of the oil pan. It looks like I should be able to pull the pan with ease, so that is my next task.
No use crying over spilled milk. There was some scrapes on the oil pump housing, nothing major and 2 other guide bolts were chewed up good. I went to the local scrap yard and snagged 3 guide bolts from a Malibu engine that was already torn apart and put it all back together.
It's amazing how much of a difference it made. The engine idles much smoother and doesn't jerk around at all anymore at part throttle, slow speed cruising under 20 mph.
All in all, I'm super stoked with my purchase and this is going to make a great, economical commuter car for me.

Cheers,
Robert

Oldblue

I recommend the upper front guide bolt be replaced for just this issue, this doesn’t back out or break, it’s in here post #13

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...s-60394/page2/

rorr

Thanks Oldblue! That seems like a great idea to prevent what happened to mine.

Oldblue

Our moderator RJ had this great how to also, have a read

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...de-bolt-62897/

hurst2001

maybe you could take a strong magnet To the bottom of the pan and fish it out were the drain is ?

rorr

That actually would have been a great idea to try when I had the timing cover off. I could have just fished it out of the port in the bottom where it fell through in the 1st place. I don't believe the oil drain bolt is big enough, but I can try. Thanks for the advice!

After reading these other posts, I see the reason why this replacement plug you mentioned was developed. It was born out of necessity if your bolt breaks off and leaves part of itself in the engine block. Makes perfect sense, and it is a genious design.

Since mine backed out completely, replacing the bolt with a stock one still makes more sense in my head. I may just make it a point to pull that plug and check the torque of that bolt occasionally - as preventative maintenance.
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Oldblue

It’s up to you, but they do break off and can destroy your engine. Prevent the problem by eliminating the cause!