Crankcase pics during timing chain job. 96 Satty.

[SLCraig]

Car is a 1996 Saturn SL2 DOHC. 231K KMs.

There are some obvious signs of neglect going on here.

For the past 30+K KMs Ive owned this car I've been running Formula Shell, with one run of M1 HM early on in my ownership.
The timing chain was making noise, either the guides or the chain itself. Haven't removed it all yet.

The car has been running great, just had a little timing noise going on, but has been getting good mileage, and runs generally perfectly.

 

[Steve S]

Runs good and the car has 14 years of build up .What is the worry?

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Runs good and the car has 14 years of build up .What is the worry?


There isn't one.
I'm changing the timing chain and thought people might like to see the pics.

 

[Johnny]

Don't look to bad for 14 years of neglect.

 

[addyguy]

If the car was running great, I don't understand taking the time to do a timing chain replacement on a 14-year old car....especially when its a second car!

People around here love taking on 'make work' projects.....

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
If the car was running great, I don't understand taking the time to do a timing chain replacement on a 14-year old car....especially when its a second car!

People around here love taking on 'make work' projects.....


It was making noise. Getting gradually worse over 30k kms. The timing chain was $68 from eBay. Not too worried about it.. I love this car and I plan on keeping it as long as possible. This car sees the brunt of my daily commute, so I want it to be A-1.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
Don't look to bad for 14 years of neglect.


More like 13 years of neglect and 1 year of care

 

[sunfire]

Your next 'make work' project should be to clean up the varnish.

 

[SZR48207]

Looks pretty thick on the camshafts. Interesting pics, nonetheless.

 

[crw]

I always like seeing pics like this, even if I don't have any connection. Those of you calling this "make work", why do you bother?

 

[eljefino]

you'll be glad when you get the old guides off. Will look like an olympic ski jump hill... two ruts from the chain. Also probably some heat cracks.

A new chain will help your cam timing, pep and mileage. The tensioner only affects the rear of the chain, so a stretched chain retards cam timing.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: crw
I always like seeing pics like this, even if I don't have any connection. Those of you calling this "make work", why do you bother?


Thanks for asking for me... As far as audibly hearing my timing chain make noise, and driving this car 90 miles a day, I don't see how this is a make work project. It's either let it break, and replace the entire head, or engine, or replace it now before anything else goes wrong.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
you'll be glad when you get the old guides off. Will look like an olympic ski jump hill... two ruts from the chain. Also probably some heat cracks.

A new chain will help your cam timing, pep and mileage. The tensioner only affects the rear of the chain, so a stretched chain retards cam timing.


Oh for sure.. I can tell already there is wear on the guides just by looking at the depth of the chain in the guide. I will post pics of the post teardown and pics of the guides for sure. Will not use a cell cam either this time

 

[VNTS]

Sorry didnt see the above post.

I assume it has guides to direct the chain, if so how did they look? THe chain guides seem to be the achilles heal on all these OHC engines when they get up there in mileage.

How difficult to line the cams up with the new chain.

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
Originally Posted By: addyguy
If the car was running great, I don't understand taking the time to do a timing chain replacement on a 14-year old car....especially when its a second car!

People around here love taking on 'make work' projects.....


It was making noise. Getting gradually worse over 30k kms. The timing chain was $68 from eBay. Not too worried about it.. I love this car and I plan on keeping it as long as possible. This car sees the brunt of my daily commute, so I want it to be A-1.

 

[IndyIan]

How do the gears look? Any wear? At least on a motocross bike new chain on worn sprockets equals stretched chain soon. I guess the valve train doesn't have 40hp going through it, so maybe its not an issue?

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
How do the gears look? Any wear? At least on a motocross bike new chain on worn sprockets equals stretched chain soon. I guess the valve train doesn't have 40hp going through it, so maybe its not an issue?


You saying the Saturn has less than 40 horseys?

 

[SLCraig]

Honestly the guides appear to be the problem. Without measuring the chain its hard to tell if its stretched. Will investigate more when I get home tonight and get it all off. If tug at it with your bare hands you can fairly easily move the chain between the 2 cam gears at the top and wiggle it up and down and side to side. There is definitely too much play here. The chain is also sitting fairly deep into the guides (can't see from these pics)

The gears themselves and the chain look OK, but again, unless the chain is measured, its hard to tell. The gears on the sprockets do look fairly good still, but it's all getting replaced. Tensioner, guides, sprockets, chain, etc. Should run like a top after this

 

[Eddie]

Thank you for the pictures as it is interesting to me. The varnish adds a nice color to the internals and appears to not be an issue here. Thanks again. Ed

 

[Camu Mahubah]

This on one engine I would spend the extra and run MaxLife or whatever HM was on sale. Just because I would feel this is one of those engines that might actually benefit from a slighter thicker oil and an add pack designed for this kind of scenario.

Depends on how broke I was at OCI time though. Lately I've been broke a lot from buying guns and ammo and wining and dining the wife. So I'd prolly be running the same stuff as you lol.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
This on one engine I would spend the extra and run MaxLife or whatever HM was on sale. Just because I would feel this is one of those engines that might actually benefit from a slighter thicker oil and an add pack designed for this kind of scenario.

Depends on how broke I was at OCI time though. Lately I've been broke a lot from buying guns and ammo and wining and dining the wife. So I'd prolly be running the same stuff as you lol.


I have run M1 HM in this engine before. I will probably run some Maxlife in it or something eventually, but here in Canada the high mileage oil never goes on sale!