2004 2.2 Sunfire Timing Chain (ecotech engine)

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no3gods

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2004 2.2 Sunfire Timing Chain (ecotec engine)

Hello,

I have a friend whose 2004, 2.2L ecotec, Sunfire car will not start.

HISTORY:
-His car has made a clacking sound for over a year now and we thought it was the valves.
-Major maintenance has not been performed/maintained
-it has 150k miles and has never had the timing chain replaced

CURRENT:
-he has been having power issues when accelerating (car bogs down and does not perform well.) He had the fuel pump checked at a local dealer and they said it was ok
-when the car would not start, it sounded like there was no spark so we changed the ICM and the coil pack (whatever you call it.) Still no start. We were able to check for spark and there was spark (those items, IMO, should be replaced anyway because of the age of the car.)
-we removed the valve cover to see if the chain was still intact, which it was. However, there is a tone of slack in the chain and I think we actually made it skip a tooth on the intake side.

My question: is this an Interference engine ? If not, we are going to install a timing chain kit. But if it is, what is involved to get this thing up and running, or is it worth it?

Thanks in advance,
Mike
 
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do a compression test to see if anything has hit at this point. If not, the engine is running, replace the tensioner, quides and chain.
 
I just did a timing kit on the same year and make. The compression test wouldn't work with everything out of time and had to treat it down anyways just to set it up to test. I tried to do a compression, but was unable to keep the chain from skipping while doing it. I went ahead and did the kit and cleaned out all the old debris from the pan and chain area and cleaned the valve cover from all the build up sludge. Once everything was cleaned and replaced, put everything back together and cranked it. It was a rough start at first (getting all the cleaner out), then it fired right up no problem.
 
@travisn: I read your post about your brother's car and I am wondering if the repair included the lifters?

@melsg5:
If it doesn't start after the chain has been replaced (assuming it is done correctly) and there is no compression, would that be an indication that the lifters are bent?

Thanks again!
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It would be an indication that the valves are bent but you stated the engine is currently running so the valves arent bent.
 
what about the water pump

Did you change the water pump too?
 
test

Well, it didn't start. Same thing, sounds like there is no spark, but there is an occasional backfire. I'm guessing some of the lifters are bent. He might have been driving it with the timing off for a few weeks, and then it might have skipped even more which bent the lifters, thus causing the initial "no start." There really was no way to tell until the timing was reset, which needed to be done because after we tore it apart the timing chain guide was broken, thus pointing to a timing issue.

However, when putting the chain on, and getting TDC on the compression stroke, the timing marks would never line up. So the only way the marks would line up was on TDC on the intake stroke (just after exhaust was evacuated.) Don't know what we did wrong because the book states TDC compression, but we could not figure it out. The sprockets only go on one way, so....I guess a shop gets to break their knuckles on it now.

Directions
A-few-pics-of-the-timing-marks
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Were you turning the crank and it wasn't turning the cams? If it wasn't, then you would have to manually turn the cams a little bit as you rotated the crank to get it to TDC on the compression stroke. If it was turning the cams, I had to pay with the cams a bit too get the sprockets to seat all the way on.
 
if you read the instructions it does not say anywhere about the crank being at TDC on compression. It says the crank has to have the sprocket at 5 o'clock is that TDC? The camshaft positioning determines whether you are on top dead center of the compression or exhaust stroke
 
travisn said:
Were you turning the crank and it wasn't turning the cams? If it wasn't, then you would have to manually turn the cams a little bit as you rotated the crank to get it to TDC on the compression stroke. If it was turning the cams, I had to pay with the cams a bit too get the sprockets to seat all the way on.
Click to expand...

From the pictures this was the only way I could get the timing marks to line up with the chain.

When looking at the lobes on the cam shaft we saw:
-EXAUST: the lobe just passed exhaust (on the left side of the spring)
-INTAKE: the lobe is getting ready to depress the spring (on the right side of the spring)

We turned it until it was on the compression stroke but the cam sprocket timing marks would never line up. We tried taking them off and rotating them but they would only go on one way. We contemplated turning each cam until the mark lined up, but then it wouldn't be on the compression stroke anymore...

Could it be a fuel issue at this time? With that being said, the spark plugs had gas on them when we would take them out. And when he tried to fire it up we got a back fire, but that was about it.
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melsg5 said:
if you read the instructions it does not say anywhere about the crank being at TDC on compression. It says the crank has to have the sprocket at 5 o'clock is that TDC? The camshaft positioning determines whether you are on top dead center of the compression or exhaust stroke
Click to expand...

Right. And from the looks of it, the only way to get the timing marks on the cams lined up was on the exhaust stroke (just beginning the intake cycle). Otherwise the timing marks on the cams never lined up with the colored marks on the chain.

The crank was at the 5pm position, and the timing mark lined up with the mark on the front engine cover.
 
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So what is wrong with that if thats the way they tell you to do it. if that is what you end up with they are setting it up at TDC on the exhaust stroke. You have to set it up by the marks regardless of whether that is TDC compression or exhaust.
 
engine is broken

Well, it jumped one too many teeth; all the valves are bent and the top end has to be rebuilt - verified by a repair shop.

Thanks for your time and help, though. :D
 
sorry to hear the bad news
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Damn that sucks. How many miles does the engine have again? Maybe it would be cheaper to get a low mileage used engine installed.
 
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