david-b's 2001 Grand Am DD fix

[vanilla gorilla]

You putting a new chain on it while its down? Or atleast guides?

[david-b]

Originally Posted by vanilla gorilla

You putting a new chain on it while its down? Or atleast guides?

New chain, guides, tensioiner, and cam gears. It was a timing chain package that came with everything... I believe 6 or 8 parts. Also have a whole engine gasket set where I've been replacing everything possible.

[david-b]

I'm pissed. While tightening down the cams, 2 of the bolts which were the right bolts went through the cam cover and cracked the lower cam/valve part of the head on the exhaust side. Not happy. Now I have to find a new piece and I'll probably have to pull it from a junkyard. I got it all timed, closed up, and was probably about an hour out from startup, and bam. Son of a...

[SilvrEclipse]

That sucks. It always seems to happen. When I was putting my motor back together I broke off one of the last cam cap bolts.

[vanilla gorilla]

Thats the nature of the beast

[david-b]

The car is all back together as of last night. Took awhile to get the part in since I broke the lower cam holder. Went to start last night with no luck. It turns, but doesn't fire. So going to check on the fuel and spark and see what's going on in there. It seems like it wants to, but just missing something.

What's the best way to check for spark? This thing doesnt have wires... just clips built into the valve cover. It's stupid, really. I'm going to spary some starting fluid in the intake and so I can see if fuel is working or not.

So far it's holding oil and coolant with no leaks, but then again it hasn't started yet so won't see leaks til then. HOPEFULLY I can get it squared away tonight.

[SilvrEclipse]

Check all your plugs, make sure they have a good connection. I had the same problem last time I put the motor in and it ended up being the crank angle sensor had a bad connection.

[david-b]

So it doesn't have spark, and not sure if it's the coilpack or the security system. Trying to find the answers now. Resetting the security didn't work, so I don't know. It's all back together though.

[david-b]

Worked on this weekend. The security system shuts down fuel, not spark... so that's not causing the issue.

There is signal at the harness, but the ICM or coils are not firing so I found a cheap used one on ebay. Hoping to get in by Thursday/Friday and see if that works. Can't think of anything else. Car is full of fluids and ready to go. I have my brooms and cleaners all ready to go so once I wheel that thing out, clean it up, and tow the talon in.

Actually thinking of putting a little hitch on this car and a tow thing on the front of the Talon. I have a feeling with having a DD now, the Talon will be "towed" around much more.

[vanilla gorilla]

Hopefully that fixes your problem man.

[david-b]

Just wanted to give an update on this...

After playing around with this thing for too long, thinking it was the security system locking the car down, I called my old mechanic to check it out.

After we did a compression test, it was: 120, 25, 0, 0

I towed it to his garage and he started tearing it down. This is being done in his spare time, not at the shop he works at. Doing this to save some money. Somehow the water pump seized up and the last time I tried to start it the timing chain skipped 2 teeth. So now he's checking the valves.

Hoping to have back to me before the year is out.

[vanilla gorilla]

Wow, never heard of jumped timing on a chain....thats crazy. So the chain drives the pump? Was it a new pump?

[SilvrEclipse]

Yea thats weird. Hopefully the head isin't damaged

[david-b]

Ya the chain connects to the water pump. I decided not to buy a new pump when I first did it... now I believe a new one is on.

Just got a text this morning from him. Valves checked out good from what he could see. Was going to put it all back together and check compression. I still think that there's something else off, but we'll see.

[david-b]

Grand Am is up and running and back in my hands. The head was warped so bought a totally rebuilt one off ebay and got it all taken care of.

He said compared to having it at his shop, I saved about $600 just on labor alone, plus the price of all the parts would have been more. Got those at cost.

The Talon will now be headed to the garage will it will be stored and worked on from time to time. And driven when the snow is melted or nearly gone. I still have lots of work left for it so it's good to be out the way and off the snow and not being used as a DD. I do want to get on the dyno for a tune and some numbers when it's still stupid cold, just to take advantage of that nice dense cold air. But now with having the DD running, Talon is going away.