cheap gains while motor is out of car

[knrt03]

first let me hear from you if you have had a timing chain fail prematurely on you ecotec.
i will be replacing my original motor w/ 60k, due to timing chain failure, with one w/ 20k from a salvage yard. my question is, are there any cheap improvments i can make to increase performance before i reinstall? keep in mind this is the family car, i'm not looking to drag race anyone just trying save any little bit of coolness i have left.
thanks

[RickHigginsHtbr]

I think I heard of it once before.... I better watch out if it happened to you at 60k, I just hit 46k.

[tenspeed]

I have some concerns since my 2.2 is at 50k miles. I rather put another chain on now before it breaks. Can it be done from the top? Pull the valve cover and attach the new to the old chain?

I don't know any cheap improvements. I would pull the intake and clean all the crap out of it and smooth out any rough edges. I would install a new timing chain and I might consider new lower end bearings.

[tenspeed]

From Kevins post on 9/23/05:

"i am in the same situation with my 2002 G.A. with 60,000 miles. i know a couple of GM cert. mech. they tell me that this is a known problem @ GM. from what i understand it is a failure in design and manufacturing the timing components. the chain does not receive sufficient lubrication causing premature failure. solution is gm does not want to own up to the problem, even though they had completely redesign the system since. they want you to buy the dealer only timing kit, expect $240.00-$300.00, this includes redesign guides, sprockets, chain, & oiler. this is only after you spend upwards of $500 to rebuild the head, ex. bent valves and or busted guides. not to mention the damage that may have been done to the bottum end the moter when the pistons slammed into the valves. basically gm's response to me was to grab my ankles, if you know what i mean. we need some kind of support for a major problem just begining to rear its ugly head. sorry for being so dramatic but i feel very passionate about somthing when i feel like i am being screwed over. i have a gm bulliten # given to dealerships that alerts them to the problem and the appropriate parts to use, keep in mind i do not believe this bulliten was released to the public. i was able to locate 2.2 eco's @ a local junkyard for $550 with 20,000 to 40,000 miles on them. that is the route i will be taking @ this point because speaking with gm is gettiing me no where."

[knrt03]

JUST REPLACING THE CHAIN WILL NOT FIX THE LARGER PROBLEM, WHICH IS THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IS NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH OIL FROM THE MOTOR. BESIDES I DON'T THINK YOU CAN FIND JUST A CHAIN ANYWHERE. THAT IS WHAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE GM IS TRYING TO HIDE A MAJOR PROBLEM FROM US. YOU WILL ONLY FIND ENTIRE TIMING KITS WHICH INCLUDE, NEW CHAIN, NEW SPROCKET, NEW GUIDES & TENSIONER, AND NEW OILER. ON THE AVERAGE IT WILL COST ABOUT $250 RETAIL. WELL WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY IF ONLY TO PREVENT WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH. $250 SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN $2,000 TO $3,500 DEPENDING ON SEVERITY OF HEAD DAMAGE, AND TRUST ME THERE WILL BE HEAD DAMAGE. SEE MY OTHER THREAD I POSTED "WARNING TO ALL ECOTEC'ERS" ABOUT WHAT I FOUND WHEN I TORE INTO THE HEAD OVER THE WEEKEND.

[Zinger]

Im about to hit 80 K on my engine.... are there any signs to the chain failing? or just a nice SNAP then ur car dies? And should this repair be done on a some what regular intervels like every 60 K or something?

[RocketFast321]

Pretty much that how it happens.

[knrt03]

i didn't think so at first, but here is what to look for or listen for. the first thing i noticed was a small motor vibration at idle speed. i looked under the hood when i first felt it. the motor seemed to be laboring just a little, but i thought nothing of it because it is summer and i use the a/c alot when i'm in the car for any length of time. there seemed to be a little more noise coming from the motor than normal, but it was on the right side of motor with all the belts and acces. and i assumed that everything was pretty normal. i know this sounds stupid but i've been around cars my whole life and if i thought something was truely wrong with the motor i would have had it checked out. what i have found from tearing the top end apart is the chain had stretched well before it broke. and the vibration and noise was the motor slightly out of time. but far enough out of time to keep the exhaust valves from seating properly into the head at full compression. i had heavy heavy carbon build up on 4-5 ex. valves, to answer the part of your question, yes when the chain finally breaks, there will be no warning lights or anything. you will go from perfect operation to complete mechanical shutdown immediatly. all electrical will continue to function normally. as for maintaining the timing system, every gm mech. has told me that the chain & sprocket system should outlive the motor itself in most cases. thats what pisses me off is gm is not willing to own up to it design failure for this motor.