I know this video was posted 5 years ago, and I'd usually shy away from replacing a timing chain, but I appreciate your thoroughness in what each part is, how to overcome specific obstacles and explaining what you've got to torque it to. Every RUclips tutorial video should follow your guidelines.
@j.2391 due to labor costs prob around 600-1000(according to google) also depending apon the year and labor cost the tech charges 🤷♂️ even when I see the timing chain itself being around 100$ online
People like you are amazingly generous. Educating people takes time and patience and for that you are a hero. I'd be tempted to buy vehicles with this engine and fix them for a profit if this will be a common issue.
I wanna know if the timing chain goes on these engines, will it have bent valves or not. Every video I've watched says nothing about the valves may have contacted the piston when the timing chain goes bad.
It is an interference engine. While the level of severity may vary from mild to catastrophic, all failures will lead to some degree of valve to piston contact.
This is absolutely one of the best repair overview videos that I have seen. It was to the point, lighting & audio were great but most importantly covered the particulars. Keep up the great work!
Excellent video. Thanks for going to the trouble of dropping the engine so that viewers could see what you were doing. One suggestion to those who may have to replace an Ecotec timing chain - the torque values for the 10 mm bolts on Ecotec engines are typically 89 inch/pounds (verify for your engine) - any thing higher than the factory spec has a tendency to strip the threads. Inch/pound torque wrenches for home mechanics are relatively inexpensive (about $40), and relying on feel rather than precise torque values can be an invitation to disaster for DIYers who do not work on these engines every day. Another point - if the valve timing is not set perfectly, you will get more codes and will have to go back into the engine to get the timing right. Eric O. at the South Main Auto channel did a 5 part series on a very similar 4 cylinder Chevy Colorado engine with timing issues and phaser problems; it is a long series but his conclusion after a lot of work on that engine was that there is little to no room for valve timing errors in these types of GM engines. Again, thanks for one of the best videos on doing this job that I have ever seen - it is a masterpiece.
Thank you all very much for the positive feedback! This is the first video I have ever "voiced over" and I think it was a big success. It allowed me to focus on the work while filming the repairs, then focus on my narration when I recorded the voice over. I'll most likely create many more videos this way. Thanks again!!!
I think you are great for procedure videos. Also wondering shorcuts and minimal disasembly, Wondering how many other would love to get this videos to work daily on a fleet or even at the dealership where this isuses repeat all over the place and an optimized procedure to cut costs in mandatory. You should handle this vids t your work to help technicians. Great value and sure you will wonder way to save labour hours and money. EDIT: losts of misspellings
At how many miles did you chance it at?? I had a water pump leak and because of it leaking i ended up changing my pump and timing chain at 145k on my 2011 malibu LT.
replaced the timing chain on my 2011 malibu in november. in early February, car brought up p0016/p0017 code. then a couple of days later, the car refused to start. took it to the shop and was told that there's no compression in the cylinders. is there a way to fix it that doesn't involve changing the engine
Damn like a boss I’m going to rewatch and re watch and rewatch,, I work at gm just started, and they gave me a piston replacement and timing chain job on a terrain like the 2nd day of work, I’m not a seasoned technician but the boost of confidence from watching you do this makes me excited for work tomorrow, keep kicking ass!
Just did this job today and wouldn’t have completed without this video thanks! For anyone wondering the plug is a 10mm hex and the tensioner can be removed and torqued with a 32mm socket! Thanks again!
@@MatthewLeathers5 no I believe I just used a jack underneath with wood and unbolted that side of the engine mount and just went up and down as needed with the jack under the engine
Just did this job on my 2011 Equinox. Replaced the timing chain and sprockets should have done the balance chain . The job was actually pretty easy even in the car. Thanks for you video it made the jobs easy. The timing chain guide was broken in three and the chain was so slack it was starting to wear on valve cover. The engine runs great now(as good as it can) hopefully I'll get a few years out of this repair.
you did a great job with the video.. but I did have to watch another video to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.. you said tdc on the compression stroke… I couldn’t find the marks… it’s actually done on the exhaust stroke.. I hope you don’t find this rude.. just thought I would throw it out there.. Thanku for making videos it makes our lives so much easier!
Great video! Some pointer for doing it without dropping the subframe. Remove your left (looking at the vehicle) engine Mount and take the bolt out of your front engine Mount. This will allow you to jack the engine up and lower it to access some of the bolts from under your wheel well. Make sure to buy extra phaser bolts. Those are the 10mm head bolts used to hold the chain guides. It is the black bolts with spacers. Have you x2 crank bolts as well. These are the 18mm head bolts. These bolts don’t come with cheaper timing kits. Holding the cams: I cut my old chain in half and used that around the crank sprockets to hold them and then vide gripped the chain to the car frame at the front. The helped keep the valves from opening while I loosen the crank bolts. It takes a specialised tool otherwise. It is not a rentable tool from Oreilies.
Just did this job using your tutorial. It helped immensely. Purchased all my parts from Rock Auto online except for the torque to yield cam sprocket bolts. Those I bought at the Chevy dealership. I left the engine in place when doing this job. That made it difficult removing one of the timing chain cover bolts(an extra long one) and one of the motor mount bolts. Both of these bolts will hit the fender wheel well until you lower and raise the motor using a bar for leverage. Put everything back together again and it’s running great. Thanks for the great video!
best repair video I have ever seen. I will do this same job on a 2010 with 79K miles this next fall or winter. I don't work on vehicles during the AZ summers. It will stay parked until then. Excellent instructional video!!
Not only technically proficient but clear and expertly explained and demonstrated each step. How tech videos should be done. I'll echo another comment by saying thank you for being so generous with sharing your knowledge.
This video was very helpful, I have a friend who has a 2012 Captiva Sport 2.4L, which was running rough and making an upper engine clattering sound. I took the valve cover off. To find that the upper guide was missing it's plastic piece and the metal was cracked. Along with the chain being very loose. I decided to replace both guides and the tensioner. I did have to set the timing again (It was way off.) And pull off the oil pan to get the plastic pieces out. The engine runs very well and only had 80,000 miles on it. Thanks so much for the video, I couldn't have done it without it.
Thanks a lot bud, very helpful video i just tackled this job and patience was key i must of watch your video 20 times at least so virtually you were there one step at a time lol!!!
@@justinjustin337 hi there, yeah I took my sweet time almost 3 weeks spent about 700$ on parts and tools thermostat and water pump replaced as well I’m not a mechanic but I was up for the challenge I wanted to make sure i was dead on 👍
Just to clarify everyone, the engine does not need to be removed. Idk if this guy mentioned that or not. These engines are decent other than timing chain issues but it’s not a big deal to do . No timing chain will last forever
Any advice you could give to those of us who own a newer (2014-2016)2.4 ecotec engine? Ive got 25k on mine so far with no problems yet. I change my own oil every 4-5k miles with synthetic (pennzoil platinum, quaker state ultimate.) Next change im going to Amsoil!
David hi - do u have to drop out engine like done here? Or can do with car on ground? How long does this take? And if doing chain and tensioner - should replace with new cam phasers and water pump too? And please could give approx cost for doing this job?
This was an awesome step by step video. Did this work on my sisters 13 Equinox 2.4l . I did it with the motor still in vehicle. Same thing though. Thank you for the great video.
with the motor still in the vehicle, do you have to remove the entire motor mount as shown? Do you put a jack under the motor in this situation? Could you get by just removing that bottom motor mount bolt?? thanks for any assistance!
Where GM has failed so many of us, you have taken the time to help. Cheers, friend! 2nd time I'm replacing timing components because that stupid front timing guide has broken. What a terrible design.
Wow! Thanks a lot. I couldn't understand from other video on RUclips what they meant by an additional 100 degrees. You're a good instructor. Thanks again. Big fan now.
Thank You so much for providing a much better and indepth video on how to do this. I need to do this on my 2011 buick regal with the same engine in it. The slack in the chain on my vehicle is not as bad as this one witch is impressive cause I have 140k miles on mine. All the other videos I have seen don't give you direction on setting the timing. Earned a subscribtion from me sir.
Great video. I'm a chevy tech and my eyes always roll a bit when I'm given a timing chain on one of these. However your end result was really well done. These engines are notorious for sounding awful, even if everythings running well.
Yeah even Toyota's engines sound awful right off the factory line. The 2AZ-FE is notorious for nasty timing chain rattle on start-up but Toyota swears it's OK.
From what I've researched they definitely should have been a recall on this engine, I've owned mine for 2 years and replace the timing chain twice, there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it from happening, this is poor workmanship on GM's Part to produce something that's going to fail no matter what, and another thing do you have to pay additional money when purchasing a GM vehicle to have a actual spare and Jack, I recently discovered that mine simply came with a air inflation kit what a joke
Moral of the story; Change your oil often (5k-7k), with the correct oil composition (5w30 DexOs). Your pockets will thank you. P.S. : Dont forget the transmission oil. It needs changed too. Preventative maintenance is the best maintenance.
I agree.. i race these ecotecs the 2.2 (basically the same). And never had an issue. They are pretty quick and with me changing the oil every couple races it was still going strong till my dad raced it smacked a wall and broke tranny and block lol
My Mother has a 2011 Malibu. I change her oil for her and use M1. I take it to the dealer for a trans flush every 30k. Car has 130k miles now and it's not a bad car. Dipstick always reads low oil level but when I change the oil 5 quarts comes out. Had to change her headlights this weekend.... Not happy. What a pain in the ass.
@@cordiepowell3046 I really hope that's the case with my wife's 2015 equinox. I change the oil every 3k weith mobil 1 dexos and the filter every 6k. also mobil 1 or Wix. did the trans service at 50k and now at 62k miles I noticed the passenger side axle seal as well as the trans cooler lines are leaking at the radiator. hopefully it can be done under warranty.. ps I do the oil so often because it seems these engines are very hard on oil.
Respect! Never saw a video explained that well ! And I saw and participated to A LOT of lessons or videos . I'm an Caterpillar engineer. Watching this kind of videos because I bought a crap Equinox.....I'm sorry for that!😢
You could change the oil everyday for a year and if you put 60 thousand miles on the echotec the chain will look like that and needs changed. Chevy did this on purpose. Bycicle parts in a car means expensive repairs or new engines sold. That's also why the replacement engine costs so much.
Thanks man. Truthfully that is a lot more than I want to do in my basic garage. That is not outside my skill set but I really don't want to do it. I'll pay somebody for that one.
Good video very helpful, just have one question, Is there any reason why you can’t put the new chain in from the top instead of needing a hook tool to pull it up from the bottom.
Here's the money pit question - while that engine was down and fully opened - wouldn't it be smart to replace the other chain along with guides and the water pump?
Very good video. Only issue I have is after installing all new timing components is when i turn the engine over by hand the cam sprockets are making a clicking/popping sound as a turn the engine a full revolution. The sound is definitely coming from the camshafts /sprockets..
Okay, hears the story. My friend bought this nightmare from his boss, and when it turned cold a week later, the cylinder head cracked, and an oil pressure sensor was dumping oil out of the electric plug in. I asked if it was overheated, his boss said no, and came to find out the vehicle had a brand new water pump installed...so that answers the question. Cylinder head was cracked at between 3 & 4, and water was in the oil and vise versa. I dumped all fluids and ordered a CEW cylinder head, but after a month of waiting, I was excited to get it only to find out that it was a CEY... returned it and waited another 3 weeks for the right one. Being anal I made absolutely sure to set the timing at 10 o'clock on the exhaust side and 2 o'clock on the intake side and 5 o'clock on the crank. Installed all new timing chain, exhaust and intake cam sensors (new) guides, oiler, gaskets, bolts, spark plugs, voltage packs, ect, cleaned everything spotless. Installed new oil pressure sensor and reinstalled torqued to specs...battery was dead after sitting for 3 months waiting on parts jump started the vehicle (chevrolet equinox LS 2.4L ecotech) replaced all fluids oil filter, antifreeze, started up ran for about 3 mins and shut off won't stay running...literally confused at this point.😢 any words of help on this?
Not sure why mitchell explains timing is set cyl 1 tdc on exhaust. Not compression. Per 2010-2011 le5 and le9 engine. But camshaft marks never line up tdc exhaust.
Change your oil.. as I GM technician for over 20 years this RARELY happens on engines where oil is changed about 3 times a year.. or 4k miles maximum... I've done hundreds of these and its usually after many overdue oil changes... I've seen this happen many times and there was less than one liter of oil in the engine.. and they went 10k + on their oil. When the oil breaks down first thing that will fail is timing components.
excellent video. in the middle of this job on a '13 Captiva 2.4. on mine, the VVT sprockets are the same part number. the intake is seized and the exhaust rotates and returns as i assume it should. waiting on parts. wouldnt have attempted it without this video
Excellent video. Thanks for going to the trouble of dropping the engine so that viewers could see what you were doing. One suggestion to those who may have to replace an Ecotec timing chain - the torque values for the 10 mm bolts on Ecotec engines are typically 89 inch/pounds (verify for your engine) - any thing higher than the factory spec has a tendency to strip the threads. Inch/pound torque wrenches for home mechanics are relatively inexpensive (about $40), and relying on feel rather than precise torque values can be an invitation to disaster for DIYers who do not work on these engines every day. Another point - if the valve timing is not set perfectly, you will get more codes and will have to go back into the engine to get the timing right. Eric O. at the South Main Auto channel did a 5 part series on a 4 cylinder Chevy Colorado engine with timing issues and phaser problems; it is a long series but his conclusion after a lot of work on that engine was that there is little to no room for valve timing errors in these types of GM engines. Again, thanks for one of the best videos on doing this job that I have ever seen - it is a masterpiece.
Awesome video, very clear and concise! A friend owns a Captiva and complained about a rattling noise at idle in drive or reverse, or air conditioner kicking in (under load basically) but only when the car was running for a while. I dismissed any accessories pulleys by running the engine without the belt, the noise was still there. I inspected the upper timing chain guide, and chain tension when the engine was cold, everything seemed fine (no broken timing chain guide "ear" on the right-hand side of the chain as commonly mentioned). Then I ran the engine until it reached operating temperature, pulled the rocker cover back off and the chain had now slack to it so my conclusion was a bad chain tensioner. So my question is, is the tensioner fully mechanical or is it affected by oil and oil pressure ? Thank you for your time.
It’s been a great video, the only problem I’m having is getting the chain slipped back on all the sprockets. I can get 2 but there’s never enough slack to get the 3rd. Its 30°F here now, I wouldn’t think the chain shrunk enough to give me trouble.
Thanks for the video informative straight to the point takes a job not easily known and makes it fairly easy to do with your guidance. I thank you for your good videos sir
is it TDC on compression or exhaust? I've seen other videos say to set it to TDC on exhaust for timing chain install, but you say the opposite. Just want to be sure. Thanks!
Yea im at this same question right now. The procedure has been changed in the last couple years to say tdc on exhaust stroke, i ended up just following how this guys doing it tho. I guess it doesn’t matter too much its more to keep the cam from spinning, everything is marked and the cams got those keyways it would be kinda hard to mess that up
Tdc is piston location. Camshafts are set based on that. Intake cam is always set to the point just before compression stroke. Always Exhaust cam is always set to intake location
@@danielkaesberger7893 the procedure has changed over the last few years. The cams used to be 180 degrees different. The crank spins twice per one cam revolution…….. 2 tdc piston locations, lol.
@@harleyking7689 If you follow exactly what this guy does in the video you cant mess it up. Tripple check that your colored links are lined up, and make four full rotations of the assembly before putting the cover back on just to make sure your valves and pistons are not hitting. You can make sure your arrows on the phasers are aiming the same direction as this guy has his in the video, and each phaser only goes on one way. You better replace the phasers at the same time, the bolts are torque to yield so they stretch, replace them
are you replacing the new guide with the same stock part that will ALSO fail in time , do they make a better replacement part or are you just replacing it with the same junk . does some one make a better part that addresses the problem ?
Did it cause enough slack to jump teeth at the crank sprocket? I'm dealing with the same issue now when turning it over by hand. I'm starting to think it's the intake phaser/cam sprocket.
Question: why does the timing go off when turning the engine 760 degrees? I have realigned the timing 6 times and every time I hand turn the engine the chain is off a tooth?
theres a couple of different models of the “2.4l ecotec” this is an LE5. gm stated the engine had the least warranty claims durring it production run of any other engine in its history. Doesn’t mean alot coming from gm i know, but i cant believe people are having these problems without some sort of neglect
Thanks for the video, great job. Question on gaskets and seals in what needed to be replaced for this job? Valve cover gasket, Front cover gasket, and crank seal? Anything else?
Si, I am in the process of finishing my timing chain on an exact duplicate car that you have in this video, my only question is what you said you get back to , but never did in the video. It’s about the torque to yield bolts and why it’s so important to not reuse them?… I have looked and looked but can’t find anything on why. Can you please give me a answer to this question anyone, please
Mine's been pretty good thus far but I got the one with the updated heads and 2 piece instead of the 3 piece spark plugs. Outside of the guides and tensioners going out on me it's given me zero issues. All engines will have problems at some point. It just comes down to how easy it is to fix those problems and in that regards I'd take a 5.4 over this one any day if I was forced to choose.
Josh Leviton Two very different engines for totally different uses. Good thing You have the updated plugs. I hear the 5.4 is a nightmare but I've also seen the 3 valve with 300,000 miles. Every mechanic I've ever spoke with says stay away from the 5.4 3 valve Daniel has some engine replacement videos for his 5.4 3 valve .
I've found it's a hit or a miss in regards to reliability but I've narrowed it down to anyone reading this if you're curious so as to not be scared of picking up a truck with a 5.4 from all the horror stories you hear on the internet. 1. Know the maintenance history on it. Know what's been touched in regards to the engine and what hasn't. 2. At or around 120,000 miles is the time in most engines if they have not been maintained right that the timing chain tensioners and guides will fail. If those components have not been replaced around or after that time either do it or stay away. 3. When replacing the timing components use the upgraded milling oil pump. The factory oil pumps are weaker and low oil pressure or no oil pressure causes the cam phasers to fail. 4. Get cam phaser lockouts this will eliminate the cam phasers as a failure point outside of normal wear on the teeth themselves. 5. Use 5W30 synthetic. Ford has a SB calling for this in the 5.4's. I prefer mobile 1 synthetics but that's me. 6. Only and only use motorcraft oil filters. They have an anti-drainback design that is really important. 7. Give your 5.4 a few minutes to warm up and get oil flowing. I cannot stress how important this is. 8. Get the 2 piece spark plugs. It is not as hard to change spark plugs on a 5.4 as people would make you think. If you are getting rid of the 3 piece spark plugs spray PB blaster in the plug holes and let it soak overnight. Another tip is to change them on a warm or hot block. Remember to use anti-seize on the new plugs and they will come out like butter next time you have to change them. 9. If you can get a vehicle that has the updated heads do so. You can identify a vehicle with the updated heads via the spark plug coil boots. If the boots are brown it is the updated head. If they are black it is the non updated head. 10. Stay on top of oil changes. As long as you follow all of these steps you will get long life out of your 5.4. Those are my tips off what I've learned.
Dealership wants $2000.00 to put new timing chain in 2008 malibu 4 cylinder. Does that seem like a fair price or are they trying to take me to the cleaners? Thanks in advance!
I can't seem to get enough slack in the chain to get it on the crank sprocket, it's close but won't go, the tensioner guide is unbolted but there's no position to get it in for it to loosen the chain enough.
Dan my timing chain went at 59,000 they replaced it under powertrain warranty. ..but i always changed the oil ontime...not sure i would buy another chevy again ...many other issues with this vehicle
you can cut the top of the gasket were it goes behind the motor mount and dont even have to take the motor mount loose, the one i am doing now took out the head so in my case all but one bolt on the mount had to come out. lol all the valves are bent all but 2 rockers broke head it cracked on the intake camshaft holder. Will it run-----of course,,,
Do you have a video showing how you drop the subframe? I'm assuming you have to undo the struts steering shaft from the power steering motor mount I just want to make sure
I know this video was posted 5 years ago, and I'd usually shy away from replacing a timing chain, but I appreciate your thoroughness in what each part is, how to overcome specific obstacles and explaining what you've got to torque it to. Every RUclips tutorial video should follow your guidelines.
How much could this job cost ? 😢 i think my car might need a timing chain
@j.2391 due to labor costs prob around 600-1000(according to google) also depending apon the year and labor cost the tech charges 🤷♂️ even when I see the timing chain itself being around 100$ online
People like you are amazingly generous. Educating people takes time and patience and for that you are a hero. I'd be tempted to buy vehicles with this engine and fix them for a profit if this will be a common issue.
I wanna know if the timing chain goes on these engines, will it have bent valves or not. Every video I've watched says nothing about the valves may have contacted the piston when the timing chain goes bad.
It is an interference engine. While the level of severity may vary from mild to catastrophic, all failures will lead to some degree of valve to piston contact.
Just had the timing chain replaced at 110,000 miles.
2015 equinox lt
Ja
@@luckyl6042 yes it will.
This is absolutely one of the best repair overview videos that I have seen. It was to the point, lighting & audio were great but most importantly covered the particulars.
Keep up the great work!
He didn’t cover shit
Direct and clear. Thank you.
Excellent video. Thanks for going to the trouble of dropping the engine so that viewers could see what you were doing. One suggestion to those who may have to replace an Ecotec timing chain - the torque values for the 10 mm bolts on Ecotec engines are typically 89 inch/pounds (verify for your engine) - any thing higher than the factory spec has a tendency to strip the threads. Inch/pound torque wrenches for home mechanics are relatively inexpensive (about $40), and relying on feel rather than precise torque values can be an invitation to disaster for DIYers who do not work on these engines every day. Another point - if the valve timing is not set perfectly, you will get more codes and will have to go back into the engine to get the timing right. Eric O. at the South Main Auto channel did a 5 part series on a very similar 4 cylinder Chevy Colorado engine with timing issues and phaser problems; it is a long series but his conclusion after a lot of work on that engine was that there is little to no room for valve timing errors in these types of GM engines. Again, thanks for one of the best videos on doing this job that I have ever seen - it is a masterpiece.
i know this is four years old, but do the 10mm bolts that hold the guides in place also get tightened to 89 inch pounds?
Thank you all very much for the positive feedback! This is the first video I have ever "voiced over" and I think it was a big success. It allowed me to focus on the work while filming the repairs, then focus on my narration when I recorded the voice over. I'll most likely create many more videos this way. Thanks again!!!
I think you are great for procedure videos. Also wondering shorcuts and minimal disasembly, Wondering how many other would love to get this videos to work daily on a fleet or even at the dealership where this isuses repeat all over the place and an optimized procedure to cut costs in mandatory. You should handle this vids t your work to help technicians. Great value and sure you will wonder way to save labour hours and money. EDIT: losts of misspellings
At how many miles did you chance it at?? I had a water pump leak and because of it leaking i ended up changing my pump and timing chain at 145k on my 2011 malibu LT.
DanielJaegerFilms why do these tensioner go out?
replaced the timing chain on my 2011 malibu in november. in early February, car brought up p0016/p0017 code. then a couple of days later, the car refused to start. took it to the shop and was told that there's no compression in the cylinders. is there a way to fix it that doesn't involve changing the engine
Michael Okuh hello how much did you pay in repairs? my 2011 Malibu is giving me the exact same 2 codes
Damn like a boss I’m going to rewatch and re watch and rewatch,, I work at gm just started, and they gave me a piston replacement and timing chain job on a terrain like the 2nd day of work, I’m not a seasoned technician but the boost of confidence from watching you do this makes me excited for work tomorrow, keep kicking ass!
How did the job go?
Thats awesome brother
@@jonathanstimpert1383 I’m assuming he got fired 😅
Just did this job today and wouldn’t have completed without this video thanks! For anyone wondering the plug is a 10mm hex and the tensioner can be removed and torqued with a 32mm socket! Thanks again!
Do you have to drop the engine
@@MatthewLeathers5 no I believe I just used a jack underneath with wood and unbolted that side of the engine mount and just went up and down as needed with the jack under the engine
@@Survivor_PinkmanI know it’s been forever but how long did this process take you?
Just did this job on my 2011 Equinox. Replaced the timing chain and sprockets should have done the balance chain . The job was actually pretty easy even in the car. Thanks for you video it made the jobs easy. The timing chain guide was broken in three and the chain was so slack it was starting to wear on valve cover. The engine runs great now(as good as it can) hopefully I'll get a few years out of this repair.
I'm doing this now on my wife's 2011. Why did you say you wish you would have done the balance chain? Just because you were in there?
Did you do this with the engine in the vehicle? If yes, what were the difficult steps and did you need special tools? Thanks.
At what mileage was the replacement done?
@@arneadler1810 did you end up doing this without removing the engine?
Youdon't need any special tools and you will struggle with tight spaces other then that it's easy@@arneadler1810
you did a great job with the video.. but I did have to watch another video to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.. you said tdc on the compression stroke… I couldn’t find the marks… it’s actually done on the exhaust stroke.. I hope you don’t find this rude.. just thought I would throw it out there.. Thanku for making videos it makes our lives so much easier!
Great video! Some pointer for doing it without dropping the subframe.
Remove your left (looking at the vehicle) engine Mount and take the bolt out of your front engine Mount. This will allow you to jack the engine up and lower it to access some of the bolts from under your wheel well.
Make sure to buy extra phaser bolts. Those are the 10mm head bolts used to hold the chain guides. It is the black bolts with spacers.
Have you x2 crank bolts as well. These are the 18mm head bolts. These bolts don’t come with cheaper timing kits.
Holding the cams:
I cut my old chain in half and used that around the crank sprockets to hold them and then vide gripped the chain to the car frame at the front. The helped keep the valves from opening while I loosen the crank bolts. It takes a specialised tool otherwise. It is not a rentable tool from Oreilies.
Just did this job using your tutorial. It helped immensely. Purchased all my parts from Rock Auto online except for the torque to yield cam sprocket bolts. Those I bought at the Chevy dealership. I left the engine in place when doing this job. That made it difficult removing one of the timing chain cover bolts(an extra long one) and one of the motor mount bolts. Both of these bolts will hit the fender wheel well until you lower and raise the motor using a bar for leverage. Put everything back together again and it’s running great. Thanks for the great video!
777antlers Drill a hole for relief. F it!
best repair video I have ever seen. I will do this same job on a 2010 with 79K miles this next fall or winter. I don't work on vehicles during the AZ summers. It will stay parked until then. Excellent instructional video!!
Not only technically proficient but clear and expertly explained and demonstrated each step. How tech videos should be done. I'll echo another comment by saying thank you for being so generous with sharing your knowledge.
Think im going to do this soon. Your video was straight to the point with specifics. Usually videos make me wanna throw my phone. Lifesaver!
looks like a vid made by GM to distribute to the dealerships. Very well put and narrated with precision.
This video was very helpful, I have a friend who has a 2012 Captiva Sport 2.4L, which was running rough and making an upper engine clattering sound. I took the valve cover off. To find that the upper guide was missing it's plastic piece and the metal was cracked. Along with the chain being very loose. I decided to replace both guides and the tensioner. I did have to set the timing again (It was way off.) And pull off the oil pan to get the plastic pieces out. The engine runs very well and only had 80,000 miles on it. Thanks so much for the video, I couldn't have done it without it.
Very nicely done. I just got done putting a new water pump on my truck, always feels good to have the job done right.
Just want to say this video is on point I followed this to a T and had 100% success rate on fixing my Buick 2.4l. Thankyou
Thanks a lot bud, very helpful video i just tackled this job and patience was key i must of watch your video 20 times at least so virtually you were there one step at a time lol!!!
How long did it take you to do it?
@@justinjustin337 hi there, yeah I took my sweet time almost 3 weeks spent about 700$ on parts and tools thermostat and water pump replaced as well I’m not a mechanic but I was up for the challenge I wanted to make sure i was dead on 👍
Just to clarify everyone, the engine does not need to be removed. Idk if this guy mentioned that or not. These engines are decent other than timing chain issues but it’s not a big deal to do . No timing chain will last forever
Wonder how much harder tho...
i had more than 6 different cars, always exhaust pipe problem or normal things like alternator. is engine is garbage and very flawed.
He stated that. Just said it was easier for video / viewing purposes.
@@Francois_Dupont This is a very common engine design and problem currently, not unique to GM by any means.
Not everyone is stupid like you.
I am a gm master technician at a gm dealership. Ive done hundreds of these engines. Very nice job and great explanation. Spot on.
Any advice you could give to those of us who own a newer (2014-2016)2.4 ecotec engine? Ive got 25k on mine so far with no problems yet. I change my own oil every 4-5k miles with synthetic (pennzoil platinum, quaker state ultimate.) Next change im going to Amsoil!
@@ryanchristensen1799 Are you sure you don't have a 2.5 Ecotec?
@@DJR5280 yes im sure, terrain and equinoxes have 2.4 L and the emission sticker under the hood says its a 2.4 L.
@@ryanchristensen1799 I assumed you had a Malibu.
David hi - do u have to drop out engine like done here? Or can do with car on ground? How long does this take? And if doing chain and tensioner - should replace with new cam phasers and water pump too? And please could give approx cost for doing this job?
THANK YOU for this video. first set of chains ive ever done. in my career. big help!
This was an awesome step by step video. Did this work on my sisters 13 Equinox 2.4l . I did it with the motor still in vehicle. Same thing though. Thank you for the great video.
with the motor still in the vehicle, do you have to remove the entire motor mount as shown? Do you put a jack under the motor in this situation? Could you get by just removing that bottom motor mount bolt?? thanks for any assistance!
At what mileage was the replacement done?
Good one Daniel. Always enjoy your videos. The voice overs are great. Great content, great job. Thanks for taking us along.
Where GM has failed so many of us, you have taken the time to help. Cheers, friend! 2nd time I'm replacing timing components because that stupid front timing guide has broken. What a terrible design.
Used this as a guide to do one today. Worked perfectly. Thank you.
Wow! Thanks a lot. I couldn't understand from other video on RUclips what they meant by an additional 100 degrees. You're a good instructor. Thanks again. Big fan now.
This guy should have his own TV show. What a great tutorial video!
Thank You so much for providing a much better and indepth video on how to do this. I need to do this on my 2011 buick regal with the same engine in it. The slack in the chain on my vehicle is not as bad as this one witch is impressive cause I have 140k miles on mine. All the other videos I have seen don't give you direction on setting the timing. Earned a subscribtion from me sir.
Thanks for the video. I have a 2.2 Ecotec still running strong at 265000 miles.
Awesome to know, Cobalt?
Awesome video. This one explained some issues I was having where most of the other videos on this engine did not.
Very thankful to see this video, even if it's only to justify the cost of paying someone to do it. Thank you for the insight!!
Great video. I'm a chevy tech and my eyes always roll a bit when I'm given a timing chain on one of these. However your end result was really well done. These engines are notorious for sounding awful, even if everythings running well.
Yeah even Toyota's engines sound awful right off the factory line. The 2AZ-FE is notorious for nasty timing chain rattle on start-up but Toyota swears it's OK.
From what I've researched they definitely should have been a recall on this engine, I've owned mine for 2 years and replace the timing chain twice, there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it from happening, this is poor workmanship on GM's Part to produce something that's going to fail no matter what, and another thing do you have to pay additional money when purchasing a GM vehicle to have a actual spare and Jack, I recently discovered that mine simply came with a air inflation kit what a joke
No no no you are wrong mine sound great .
@@banditone5220 if you changed it two times then you are doing something wrong.
@@banditone5220 Then walk.
Moral of the story;
Change your oil often (5k-7k), with the correct oil composition (5w30 DexOs). Your pockets will thank you. P.S. : Dont forget the transmission oil. It needs changed too. Preventative maintenance is the best maintenance.
Show me a ecotec that follows my recommendation from the beginning of its life, I will show you 200k mi. engine/ transmission.
I agree.. i race these ecotecs the 2.2 (basically the same). And never had an issue. They are pretty quick and with me changing the oil every couple races it was still going strong till my dad raced it smacked a wall and broke tranny and block lol
I have a 2011 2.4 Malibu. Had just under 30k on it when I got it in 2013, now approaching 210k and still runs great
My Mother has a 2011 Malibu. I change her oil for her and use M1. I take it to the dealer for a trans flush every 30k. Car has 130k miles now and it's not a bad car. Dipstick always reads low oil level but when I change the oil 5 quarts comes out. Had to change her headlights this weekend.... Not happy. What a pain in the ass.
@@cordiepowell3046 I really hope that's the case with my wife's 2015 equinox. I change the oil every 3k weith mobil 1 dexos and the filter every 6k. also mobil 1 or Wix. did the trans service at 50k and now at 62k miles I noticed the passenger side axle seal as well as the trans cooler lines are leaking at the radiator. hopefully it can be done under warranty.. ps I do the oil so often because it seems these engines are very hard on oil.
Very awesome video.
Clear, to the point with lots of tips .
WAY TO GO SIR 👍
Respect! Never saw a video explained that well ! And I saw and participated to A LOT of lessons or videos . I'm an Caterpillar engineer. Watching this kind of videos because I bought a crap Equinox.....I'm sorry for that!😢
Well done. This must be the most concise video on the subject. Thank you.
You could change the oil everyday for a year and if you put 60 thousand miles on the echotec the chain will look like that and needs changed. Chevy did this on purpose. Bycicle parts in a car means expensive repairs or new engines sold. That's also why the replacement engine costs so much.
Thankyou so much I'm gonna do this job tomorrow. Your a life saver!
This is the best instructional video ever.
Awesome video! This will help me a lot in fixing my equinox. Really appreciate the detailed instructions and the awesome angle/view of the videos!
Thanks man.
Truthfully that is a lot more than I want to do in my basic garage.
That is not outside my skill set but I really don't want to do it. I'll pay somebody for that one.
It can be done with it in the car but so much harder. Great video.
Good video very helpful, just have one question,
Is there any reason why you can’t put the new chain in from the top instead of needing a hook tool to pull it up from the bottom.
Very detailed video and no bs chatting wasting time- Thank you
Great job of repair and of your video production. Very easy to hear and understand. Look forward to your next video
Thank you for putting this video together made my life easy! Great job!
You’re such a good dude. Love the vids
Here's the money pit question - while that engine was down and fully opened - wouldn't it be smart to replace the other chain along with guides and the water pump?
Most techs recommend them and do. Its very easy, but does add to the amount of this job.
What I came here to say lol
Yea do the lot.
Thank you for this video. I know never to buy a vehicle with this engine. I have a 2008 hyundai 4 cylinder with 200k miles and haven't needed this.
Every car has it's problems
@@allenhetrick7694 The 2.4 ecotec has a bad reputation for a reason.
You make it look so easy. I'll be doing this in a couple of weeks.
Very good video. Only issue I have is after installing all new timing components is when i turn the engine over by hand the cam sprockets are making a clicking/popping sound as a turn the engine a full revolution. The sound is definitely coming from the camshafts /sprockets..
Great video! Definitely confirms this is something I cannot do. Wish you were my neighbor!
It's easy.. anyone can do this.buy the service repair manual then..
Whether you tell yourself you can, or you can’t, you’re usually right.
Yo this helped out my dad and I we have a 2011 Malibu and this is exactly what happened. Thanks for your awesome video
Did you have to drop the cradle or did you replace with it in the car?
That was like a professional instructional video nice job. Sounds like my old 2.2 S10 pickup at the end with little exhaust leak
Okay, hears the story. My friend bought this nightmare from his boss, and when it turned cold a week later, the cylinder head cracked, and an oil pressure sensor was dumping oil out of the electric plug in. I asked if it was overheated, his boss said no, and came to find out the vehicle had a brand new water pump installed...so that answers the question. Cylinder head was cracked at between 3 & 4, and water was in the oil and vise versa. I dumped all fluids and ordered a CEW cylinder head, but after a month of waiting, I was excited to get it only to find out that it was a CEY... returned it and waited another 3 weeks for the right one. Being anal I made absolutely sure to set the timing at 10 o'clock on the exhaust side and 2 o'clock on the intake side and 5 o'clock on the crank. Installed all new timing chain, exhaust and intake cam sensors (new) guides, oiler, gaskets, bolts, spark plugs, voltage packs, ect, cleaned everything spotless. Installed new oil pressure sensor and reinstalled torqued to specs...battery was dead after sitting for 3 months waiting on parts jump started the vehicle (chevrolet equinox LS 2.4L ecotech) replaced all fluids oil filter, antifreeze, started up ran for about 3 mins and shut off won't stay running...literally confused at this point.😢 any words of help on this?
Not sure why mitchell explains timing is set cyl 1 tdc on exhaust. Not compression. Per 2010-2011 le5 and le9 engine. But camshaft marks never line up tdc exhaust.
You made a tough job look simple, nice work!
Change your oil.. as I GM technician for over 20 years this RARELY happens on engines where oil is changed about 3 times a year.. or 4k miles maximum... I've done hundreds of these and its usually after many overdue oil changes... I've seen this happen many times and there was less than one liter of oil in the engine.. and they went 10k + on their oil. When the oil breaks down first thing that will fail is timing components.
Will fixing the timimg help, solve the problem ? is the engine still good?
I'm doing this job tomorrow and I had some people tell me that I need to have the motor balanced after I'm done is this true?
Terry Goodbody how much does this job usually cost
20 years???yeah right. Whatever.
@@ryanhall7016 No it is not true.
If you are not changing out the phasers why do you have to remove them??. Can you just leave them in place and run a new chain and guides?? thx
guessing taking off the chain, and putting new one on is either harder or not possible
excellent video. in the middle of this job on a '13 Captiva 2.4. on mine, the VVT sprockets are the same part number. the intake is seized and the exhaust rotates and returns as i assume it should. waiting on parts. wouldnt have attempted it without this video
Here is a pic of the broken part. Seized VVT sprocket, '13 Captiva sport 2.4L. Internally broken. P0011 and others imgur.com/a/yaY2EPc
Excellent video. Thanks for going to the trouble of dropping the engine so that viewers could see what you were doing. One suggestion to those who may have to replace an Ecotec timing chain - the torque values for the 10 mm bolts on Ecotec engines are typically 89 inch/pounds (verify for your engine) - any thing higher than the factory spec has a tendency to strip the threads. Inch/pound torque wrenches for home mechanics are relatively inexpensive (about $40), and relying on feel rather than precise torque values can be an invitation to disaster for DIYers who do not work on these engines every day. Another point - if the valve timing is not set perfectly, you will get more codes and will have to go back into the engine to get the timing right. Eric O. at the South Main Auto channel did a 5 part series on a 4 cylinder Chevy Colorado engine with timing issues and phaser problems; it is a long series but his conclusion after a lot of work on that engine was that there is little to no room for valve timing errors in these types of GM engines. Again, thanks for one of the best videos on doing this job that I have ever seen - it is a masterpiece.
Great job one question is it possible to change the phasers without removing the timing cover
This is amazing, thank you for the detailed video!
Awesome video, very clear and concise! A friend owns a Captiva and complained about a rattling noise at idle in drive or reverse, or air conditioner kicking in (under load basically) but only when the car was running for a while. I dismissed any accessories pulleys by running the engine without the belt, the noise was still there. I inspected the upper timing chain guide, and chain tension when the engine was cold, everything seemed fine (no broken timing chain guide "ear" on the right-hand side of the chain as commonly mentioned). Then I ran the engine until it reached operating temperature, pulled the rocker cover back off and the chain had now slack to it so my conclusion was a bad chain tensioner. So my question is, is the tensioner fully mechanical or is it affected by oil and oil pressure ? Thank you for your time.
Excellent video. Would you also recommend replacement of the balance shaft chain and water pump while the front of the engine is open like this?
It’s been a great video, the only problem I’m having is getting the chain slipped back on all the sprockets. I can get 2 but there’s never enough slack to get the 3rd. Its 30°F here now, I wouldn’t think the chain shrunk enough to give me trouble.
Are all the tensioners removed?
Same issue here.
Thanks for the video informative straight to the point takes a job not easily known and makes it fairly easy to do with your guidance. I thank you for your good videos sir
Thank you very much for your expertise and your knowledge. I’m trying it.
is it TDC on compression or exhaust? I've seen other videos say to set it to TDC on exhaust for timing chain install, but you say the opposite. Just want to be sure. Thanks!
Yea im at this same question right now. The procedure has been changed in the last couple years to say tdc on exhaust stroke, i ended up just following how this guys doing it tho. I guess it doesn’t matter too much its more to keep the cam from spinning, everything is marked and the cams got those keyways it would be kinda hard to mess that up
Tdc is piston location.
Camshafts are set based on that.
Intake cam is always set to the point just before compression stroke.
Always
Exhaust cam is always set to intake location
@@danielkaesberger7893 the procedure has changed over the last few years. The cams used to be 180 degrees different. The crank spins twice per one cam revolution…….. 2 tdc piston locations, lol.
@@Bladesje so, does it matter if it is on the exhaust, or compression stroke? The manual says exhaust stroke.
@@harleyking7689 If you follow exactly what this guy does in the video you cant mess it up. Tripple check that your colored links are lined up, and make four full rotations of the assembly before putting the cover back on just to make sure your valves and pistons are not hitting.
You can make sure your arrows on the phasers are aiming the same direction as this guy has his in the video, and each phaser only goes on one way. You better replace the phasers at the same time, the bolts are torque to yield so they stretch, replace them
are you replacing the new guide with the same stock part that will ALSO fail in time , do they make a better replacement part or are you just replacing it with the same junk . does some one make a better part that addresses the problem ?
Perfect! so much better than the GM work instructions. Thanks
@6:14 my chain develops a generous amount of slack during the rotating process, I verified chain links and cam tensioner release??? Any suggestions
Did it cause enough slack to jump teeth at the crank sprocket? I'm dealing with the same issue now when turning it over by hand.
I'm starting to think it's the intake phaser/cam sprocket.
Question: why does the timing go off when turning the engine 760 degrees? I have realigned the timing 6 times and every time I hand turn the engine the chain is off a tooth?
Same issue here, did you find a solution?
I'm thinking it's the intake cam hanging up a bit, but I'm not sure.
Gotta know what portable lift that is seems super nice!
Excellent video. Saved my butt. Thanks from NC
You did the timing chain yourself?
theres a couple of different models of the “2.4l ecotec” this is an LE5. gm stated the engine had the least warranty claims durring it production run of any other engine in its history. Doesn’t mean alot coming from gm i know, but i cant believe people are having these problems without some sort of neglect
Yeah, warranty runs out and the front timing chain guide breaks. They are a good running engine besides the timing chain if they aren't burning oil.
Thanks for the video, great job. Question on gaskets and seals in what needed to be replaced for this job? Valve cover gasket, Front cover gasket, and crank seal? Anything else?
master tech at the highest level! good video daniel!
Si, I am in the process of finishing my timing chain on an exact duplicate car that you have in this video, my only question is what you said you get back to , but never did in the video. It’s about the torque to yield bolts and why it’s so important to not reuse them?… I have looked and looked but can’t find anything on why. Can you please give me a answer to this question anyone, please
You know I used to think my 5.4 was dumb in regards to the timing department but then I watch this video.
Josh Leviton Difference is the 5.4 is still a much more problematic engine than this one, by far.
Mine's been pretty good thus far but I got the one with the updated heads and 2 piece instead of the 3 piece spark plugs. Outside of the guides and tensioners going out on me it's given me zero issues.
All engines will have problems at some point. It just comes down to how easy it is to fix those problems and in that regards I'd take a 5.4 over this one any day if I was forced to choose.
Josh Leviton Two very different engines for totally different uses. Good thing You have the updated plugs. I hear the 5.4 is a nightmare but I've also seen the 3 valve with 300,000 miles. Every mechanic I've ever spoke with says stay away from the 5.4 3 valve
Daniel has some engine replacement videos for his 5.4 3 valve .
I've found it's a hit or a miss in regards to reliability but I've narrowed it down to anyone reading this if you're curious so as to not be scared of picking up a truck with a 5.4 from all the horror stories you hear on the internet.
1. Know the maintenance history on it. Know what's been touched in regards to the engine and what hasn't.
2. At or around 120,000 miles is the time in most engines if they have not been maintained right that the timing chain tensioners and guides will fail. If those components have not been replaced around or after that time either do it or stay away.
3. When replacing the timing components use the upgraded milling oil pump. The factory oil pumps are weaker and low oil pressure or no oil pressure causes the cam phasers to fail.
4. Get cam phaser lockouts this will eliminate the cam phasers as a failure point outside of normal wear on the teeth themselves.
5. Use 5W30 synthetic. Ford has a SB calling for this in the 5.4's. I prefer mobile 1 synthetics but that's me.
6. Only and only use motorcraft oil filters. They have an anti-drainback design that is really important.
7. Give your 5.4 a few minutes to warm up and get oil flowing. I cannot stress how important this is.
8. Get the 2 piece spark plugs. It is not as hard to change spark plugs on a 5.4 as people would make you think. If you are getting rid of the 3 piece spark plugs spray PB blaster in the plug holes and let it soak overnight. Another tip is to change them on a warm or hot block. Remember to use anti-seize on the new plugs and they will come out like butter next time you have to change them.
9. If you can get a vehicle that has the updated heads do so. You can identify a vehicle with the updated heads via the spark plug coil boots. If the boots are brown it is the updated head. If they are black it is the non updated head.
10. Stay on top of oil changes. As long as you follow all of these steps you will get long life out of your 5.4.
Those are my tips off what I've learned.
Great video, can you share the info from that lift you are using, i need to get me one of those
Best video I found so far
My 2011 Regal 2.4l is getting the timing chain work this week. 137k miles.
Amazing video. timing chain covered under 10 minutes!!
Dealership wants $2000.00 to put new timing chain in 2008 malibu 4 cylinder. Does that seem like a fair price or are they trying to take me to the cleaners? Thanks in advance!
best one I've seen! some of these videos are a waste of time.
I can't seem to get enough slack in the chain to get it on the crank sprocket, it's close but won't go, the tensioner guide is unbolted but there's no position to get it in for it to loosen the chain enough.
Great video. However; you're telling me compression stroke and GM has been telling me exhaust stroke?
Dan my timing chain went at 59,000 they replaced it under powertrain warranty. ..but i always changed the oil ontime...not sure i would buy another chevy again ...many other issues with this vehicle
There is a shim like washer u have to remove it
you can cut the top of the gasket were it goes behind the motor mount and dont even have to take the motor mount loose, the one i am doing now took out the head so in my case all but one bolt on the mount had to come out. lol all the valves are bent all but 2 rockers broke head it cracked on the intake camshaft holder. Will it run-----of course,,,
Can you do a video where you document putting everything back together
Made it look easy. Great Video
Rock44260 h
Because it is....
Piece of cake when you can drop the sub frame. I have a 2.2 with 166k on it. Always been taken care of but I should probably do this eventually.
now that is an exceptional report there fella.
you are really good mechanic
Now if I can find my 10MM.....
Rite lol
You left it inside the engine
It’s down underneath the engine but up on top of something where you can’t see or reach. But it’s there.
It might’ve fallen in the oil pan 😬
Yea its the 32mm thats the problem here....lol
Do you need silicone on the timing cover or is the gasket all you need????
Excellent video Daniel, thank’s and keep’em coming...
Since u dropped the engine cradle do u need to get an alignment after
Do you have a video showing how you drop the subframe? I'm assuming you have to undo the struts steering shaft from the power steering motor mount I just want to make sure