97 Sunfire 2.2OHV Has Fuel, Spark, Starter & Won't Start

[rockitman101]

Hi all. This is about my daughter's 1997 Sunfire 2.2L OHV (96K miles, reasonably well maintained). It stopped running on her & wouldn't start. Checked fuel (OK); checked starter (OK); checked spark (OK).

Haynes manual says the next thing to check is the timing chain. 10 hours, several bruised knuckles, numerous scrapes and a significantly enriched vocabulary later, turns out they were right. Timing chain had a couple of broken links; no way the timing marks would align so apparently it had jumped timing, and the tensioner was almost fully extended.

Replaced said chain; after several hours of rehearsing my new vocabulary everything was back together with all the timing marks aligned and everything all torqued right. Got in, sat down, turned the key and - no change, still wouldn't start. It cranks but won't start.

I rechecked fuel, spark, starter - still OK. So, hoping to draw upon this forum's collective expertise, two questions:

1) Is it possible to put the timing chain & sprockets on - with the timing marks aligned - and be 180 degrees out of phase?

2) Is there anything else I should be chasing here?

Thanks in advance for any and all help ...

[big dude1]

if it was 180 degrees out, i *think* it would at least be backfiring... wouldnt it be funny if all it was was a fuse...

[rockitman101]

Originally Posted by big dude1

if it was 180 degrees out, i *think* it would at least be backfiring... wouldnt it be funny if all it was was a fuse...

We are getting a good spark, and the starter is engaging and turning the flywheel - but went back and checked all the fuses anyway and they all seem to be OK. Talked to a mechanic from dealer later; he said 99 times out of 100 if it jumps time on this kind of engine - he called it an "interference engine", whatever that means - it will damage the valves ... and the timing marks were a good 1/8 turn off. That lines up with a comment I got on my accidental second post of this message, so am going to pick up a compression tester next. Appreciate the reply!

[Austin8214]

Originally Posted by rockitman101

We are getting a good spark, and the starter is engaging and turning the flywheel - but went back and checked all the fuses anyway and they all seem to be OK. Talked to a mechanic from dealer later; he said 99 times out of 100 if it jumps time on this kind of engine - he called it an "interference engine", whatever that means - it will damage the valves ... and the timing marks were a good 1/8 turn off. That lines up with a comment I got on my accidental second post of this message, so am going to pick up a compression tester next. Appreciate the reply!

I would definintly chek the compression. odds are you bent a few valves.