97 malibue intake-exhuast gasket - Need help!

skrappi · 04-20-2009, 02:57 PM

Hi all, IHA 97 Malibu w/ 2.4L four banger. The overhead cam covers are leaking oil.. I decided to replace both the intake and exhaust side covers. I am having issues removing the covers. I was able to get everything off that was in the way, but after removing the bolts the covers only come up about 3/4 of an inch on the right hand side. the side closest to the timing chain cover moves only about 1/8 inch.

So I have all the bolts out, what's the deal? Why won't this sucker budge? Is there an unseen bolt coming in from the side inside the cover for the timing chain? If there was i don't see how I could have moved it an 8th of an inch. Does the cam cover and cam housing slide off as one piece? then take off the cam cover?

Any help would be great. My only recourse would be to tow it to a shop and then I'm looking at $300 min.

Thanks!

skrappi · 04-22-2009, 02:38 PM

After more tinkering and speaking with a GM tech I have an update for those interested.

For the 2.4L motor, to remove the cam covers, you have to remove all the crap on top of the motor to get to the cams. After that you have to remove the timing chain cover and remove the two timing cam gears to get to the last two bolts behind them to pull the cam covers. to make it even more fun, to get that timing chain cover off, you have to raise the car, take off the passenger front wheel, remove the inside fender well, take off all the pulley's to remove the lower bolts on the timing chain cover. Once those two gears are off the covers supposedly “slide” right off. The Chilton’s manual neglected to go into detail on this particular piece of the puzzle.

All that to get the cover off in order to take off the top cam covers to replace a stupid leaky seal. Gotta love the engineering brain power that went into this thing.

Wish me luck.

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