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Car Forum / GMC Cars / February 2005

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1996 grand am quad 4

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John Myer - 26 Feb 2005 23:03 GMT
I am working on my sisters quad 4. It wouldn't  start and compression was
low between #2 & #3 cylinder. Oil mixed with water. I have taken of the head
but the gasket is not blown. There are marks in the head and on top of the
pistons.

She had a water pump installed by a garage a few months ago and I think that
when they removed the timing chain they put the cams out 180. Not positive
but my manual says the cam dowel pins should be on the bottom at TDC and
they are at the top.

This car has classic signs of head gasket failure yet the gasket isn't
blown, I can see any cracks, could it be worn down?

Would the cam being out cause these marks in the pistons and head?

I will have to have the head machined but do I have to replace the marked
pistons?

Thanks
John Myer - 26 Feb 2005 23:07 GMT
Sorry guys I can't type...should read I have taken off the head. and I can't
see and cracks in the head, cylinder walls or block.

> I am working on my sisters quad 4. It wouldn't  start and compression was
> low between #2 & #3 cylinder. Oil mixed with water. I have taken of the head
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Thanks
shiden_kai - 26 Feb 2005 23:18 GMT
> She had a water pump installed by a garage a few months ago and I
> think that when they removed the timing chain they put the cams out
> 180. Not positive but my manual says the cam dowel pins should be on
> the bottom at TDC and they are at the top.

It isn't possible to have the cams out 180 degrees.  Think about it,
cams turn at 1/2 crank speed....so if you rotate the crank one more
rotation, where will the cams be?  And on the Quad 4, there are
locating holes in the cam sprockets that should line up with holes
in the timing cover housing...this is the only reliable way to time
these engines.

Ian
John Myer - 27 Feb 2005 00:02 GMT
Thanks Ian,

You're right I shouldn't have said out 180.  The pins are shown at the
bottom in my manual but the end up at the top at top dead center..I assume
that my manual is wrong

I take it that slack in the chain would cause the marks on the piston and
head surface.

> > She had a water pump installed by a garage a few months ago and I
> > think that when they removed the timing chain they put the cams out
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Ian
seeray28 - 26 Feb 2005 16:02 GMT
besides, if the cam timing was that far off on this engine you would have
had bent valves to deal with.

> Thanks Ian,
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> >
> > Ian
shiden_kai - 27 Feb 2005 05:21 GMT
> You're right I shouldn't have said out 180.  The pins are shown at the
> bottom in my manual but the end up at the top at top dead center..I
> assume that my manual is wrong

Not necessarily, you may reading the manual wrong.  They probably
mean the "locating" pin is at the bottom on both sprockets.  It's really
just a hole in the sprocket that lines up with hole in the front cover.

Here is a picture of the cams correctly timed with the GM locating
pins installed in the cams.  You can see that the dowel pins in the
cams are at the top, but the locating pin/holes are towards the
bottom.

http://members.shaw.ca/ianrmac/Images/DSC01277.JPG

> I take it that slack in the chain would cause the marks on the piston
> and head surface.

No, I've seen engines that have been running with the chain
tensioner in the retracted position, and I haven't seen any
of that type of damage. You have to be out a bit more then
that to start to have interference damage.

Ian
John Myer - 27 Feb 2005 13:54 GMT
Thanks Ian for the picture. That is how it is at top dead centre.

Do you have any idea as to what could cause the pistions to be hitting and
do I have  to replace them?

> > You're right I shouldn't have said out 180.  The pins are shown at the
> > bottom in my manual but the end up at the top at top dead center..I
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Ian
SID - 27 Feb 2005 18:58 GMT
How deep are the gouges in the piston heads?  Is there any slack in the
wrist pins?  How much carbon was in the combustion chambers in the heads.

> Thanks Ian for the picture. That is how it is at top dead centre.
>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>>
>> Ian
John Myer - 28 Feb 2005 04:08 GMT
There wasn't much carbon (two and three had anti-freeze). I haven't even
checked pistons other then looking at the top of them and wiping the carbon
away.  I will take some shots of the head and pistons and link them
tommorow. Most gouges were on two and four with some on three.

> How deep are the gouges in the piston heads?  Is there any slack in the
> wrist pins?  How much carbon was in the combustion chambers in the heads.
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> >>
> >> Ian
Donutman - 28 Feb 2005 23:18 GMT
Either the head gasket or the head itself had to be compromised to
allow antifreeze into the cylinders (discounting cracked block).  

The head on my 1989 Quad 4 had many small cracks around the spark plug
area when I disassembled it for the second time..  I would advise that
you have the head Magnafluxed before you reassemble it, just to make
sure it's not cracked.

Mike

>There wasn't much carbon (two and three had anti-freeze). I haven't even
>checked pistons other then looking at the top of them and wiping the carbon
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>> >>
>> >> Ian
 
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