I have 2008 HHR SS with turbo 2.0 with VVT and 175,000 miles with no start and checked codes and got P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor. Looked up the codes and decided it might be time to look at timing chain due to some noise on cold starts. I guess I should have replaced the cam tensioner when I first read about the startup noise.

After removing front cover, there was the left side cam guide in pieces. Finding top dead center, and making sure crank key is at 12 and the timing mark is at 5, the exhaust cam position is at 12 o'clock when the intake is at 2. The exhaust should be at 10 per the manual.

The engine turns over smoothly so I am hoping there is no internal damage.

My question is can I rotate the exhaust cam to the correct location without damaging anything after removing the timing chain?









Just a coincidence that the original timing chain colored links came up fairly close to where they should be.

 

Suggestion, replace all the chains, guides and water pump while you're in there. Before you reassemble get a compression reading from all cylinders to see if you've bent any valves. You may have gotten lucky.

 

You can turn the camshaft to line up the teeth, be gentle now!
And X2 about both chains, all guides and the water pump, and install one of these


Even Dorman has these now
https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-86802-917-954.aspx

 

DO NOT turn the crankshaft Counter-Clockwise.

 

That too

 

 

Just gently move the exhaust cam in the direction to line up the timing marks.
Just be gentle and don’t go trying to Crank it a full turn .

 

Since you've already been turning it(unless you mean by hand, not cranking), if it were far enough off to cause damage, it would already be damaged.

Moving it off TDC, there are valves open at any given time.

Don't beat yourself up for not changing the tensioner. Your engine should have come with the new style, and even if you had put a new one in, it would have done nothing to save the guide.

 

Leave the crank shaft as you say it is positioned in you first post. As you stated it’s correctly in place at 5 o’clock for the timing mark.
You stated the intake cam is at 2 o’clock, leave it there.
Gently move the exhaust cam until its mark is at 10 o’clock, even if that means counter clockwise.

Never ever move the crankshaft CCW as this will allow the tensioner to compress and can cause the timing chain to skip a tooth or two.

If you haven’t ordered any chain kits yet Cloyes offers a great kit for the balance shaft/ waterpump chain includes guides, tensioner and new oil spigot.
They also have a timing chain kit, includes new tensioner and chain but no cam sprockets, you have VVT so you won’t need to change them.