Help with engine (my chain is loose)

curtis3431

hello,

Ive just found this sight and in need of some help please. ive recently bought a astra 2.2 sri which i love compared to my previous astra sxi but it broke down the other day and the rac bloke said your cam chain has gone. ive taken the cam cover of today expecting the chain to be missing but its not! so i gave it a wiggle and it felt tight in between the cam sprockets so got a long screwdriver and i could move the chain with ease below the cams. 🙁

so am i right in saying the chain has slipped causing valve and piston damage? is a chain slip not as bad as it breaking? and what do i need to do to get it fixed? i also started thinking whats caused it to go loose! the only thing i noticed was i had to top up the oil which took about 1.5 liters. not to good but i cant see how that can effect it as there would still be 3 to 3.5 liters left? its not like the engine was starved of oil? correct me if im wrong.

cheers, lee

vocky

the z22se engine needs at least 4 litres of oil, otherwise you get oil starvation :thumbdown:

as for the chain, it does sound like it's slipped, so the head will have to come off for inspection.

it can be repaired, you don't have to replace the engine, most likely the inlet valves are all bent 🙁

I have a set of inlet valves if you decide to repair it yourself

curtis3431

cheers vocky, do u think the bottom end is ok after running low on oil? its not like it got very low but still not sure.

ive a mate whos a mechanic and im going to get him to help me fix it. im just hoping the slipped chain hasnt caused that much damage and that the pistons are ok. so would you say the tensioner failed/seized due to low oil?

take it im going to need head gasket set, chain kit, valves/guides then skim and pressure check, oil/filter, coolant. how much am i looking at so i can get saving?

im going to take the head off this weekend to have a look at damage so yes i will prob have valves off u at some point if a good price thanks 😃

vocky

best to whip the head off and check the damage

bottom end should be ok, but you will need the chain kit, 10 x head bolts (not the 4 smaller bolts), head gasket, valves, guides, skim etc

I can do you the 8 inlet valves for £20 inc postage :thumbup:

curtis3431

thought id start posting pics of my progress to give u all something to look at 🙂

timing marks at top and some random cam pics. maybe someone can tell how much the timing is out?

as for the valves, thats not a bad price so once head is off to confirm i will let ya no thanks. 😃

p.s. god i wish i had a garage!

si_c1978

a problem i sympathise with!
you'll find every passer by wants to talk about it,shame they don't realise talking don't get shit done!
hope ya can get it sorted!

vocky

one of those cams looks quite a bit out - approx 30-40 degrees :thumbdown:

Tazmad

Yeh i sympathise too bud !!
in the process of doing the same :crazy:

Blimey Vocky eye's like a hawk :shock:

curtis3431

well hope u get it sorted too. when it first happened i complained to vauxhall via email as i was so pissed off and they have recenly tryed to contact me via phone. i would have a go trying to get them to pay for it or some of it but think the tensioner failed because i didnt notice the low oil level. sure the tensioner works with oil pressure? so dont no what to say to them now!

so im going to take the head off at weekend, if anyone got any tips and advice regarding taking the head off then please share with me? 😃

vocky

Tazmad said:
Blimey Vocky eye's like a hawk :shock:

if you look carefully the cams look 'timed', but the inlet has the exhaust mark aligned and the exhaust has the inlet mark aligned, this normally never happens, so I checked a pic of the correct timing and one of the cams has jumped :thumbdown:

ps: I've 'timed up' far too many z22se engines :lol:

Tazmad

well what can i say I'm impressed
Very impressed :clap:

can i just ask is this more noticable in pics 1 & 4 ?
as i notice the 1st peaks on both cams are pointing in and raised on the same piston
i dont know what i'm looking for when you say the inlet has the exhaust mark
and exhaust has the inlet mark but will be rebuilding mine and think it would be
very good to know.. notsure.gif

vocky

when you 'time up' a z22se the sprockets should look like this pic, note that the lefthand sprocket has exhaust and the righthand has inlet written on them, compare to the first pic above and you will see they are reversed - which cannot happen on a correctly timed z22se

curtis3431

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! I can see what you mean now vocky, they are the wrong way round :crazy:

what would be the reason for this? and how the hell was the engine timmed up like this? :?

si_c1978

your tensioner probably didnt have enough oil pressure to operate. maybe it picked up since hence the tension,
mine was like this, it only skipped a tooth or two and still let me drive in limp, the next time i started it you could hear the chain sliding around the sprockets. :thumbdown:

VecB

Rotate engine 180 degrees and check that timing again.

curtis3431

mannaged to take the head off today, hears some pics. it looks like the inlet valves have only just touched the pistons and only taking the layer of carbon build up off which is very lucky. i also understand now the cam sprockets have inlet and exhaust marks on them.

and this is the cause of my problems.

vocky

looks like you got away with just two bent inlet valves dunno..

get the two guides changed as they crack and will burn oil :thumbdown:

john2666

Lucky only a couple of valves there, i have 3 heads on the bench at the moment doing valves and vocky i'd give you £20 for the 8 valves you have mate if this guy doesn't want them, always good to have valves spare an thats a great price mate

vocky

I would personally just get two new valves + guides fitted, I think the valves are about a fiver each dunno..

john2666 - I will let you know cheers..

Tazmad

Cheers for the info i see what you mean
now Vocky :thumbup:

very lucky by the way curtis.
I got my sump off to find chunks of
piston, a bent broken conrod and chewed up piston rings
sat at the bottom of it. notsure.gif cryb..