spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 OK, so last week my GP decided to pitch the timing belt. Now I'd had enough of this thing for a while, plus I didn't really have the time to mess with a big job like the timing belt right now, so I had the car towed to a shop. Fast forward to today, and I get a call from the shop. Apparently, I'm one of the unlucky ones who has managed to bend valves on this "non-interference motor". I was told that I have bent valves on cylinders 1 and 3 . I'm gonna get the car towed back to my place, as there is no way I can afford or be willing to pay shop rates to have the head pulled. At least it will be easy to replace the oil pump drive seal then! So this leaves me with a few questions: 1. Does anybody have the Delco part number for the updated seal? 2. With the top of the motor all torn off, I'll bet I could access the alternator from the top. Can anyone confirm this? If so, then I could possibly head off a future failure right now. 3. Felpro gaskets, right? 4. Are the head bolts TTY? 5. Other than the cam hold down tools (and obviously a torque wrench, duh!) will I need any oddball tools to do this job? Oh yeah... where can I get the cam tools? 6. Any hints, words of advice, words of caution, etc.? I've heads heads and top end jobs on several motors, so I'm right at home with that sort of work, but I'm new to the TDC. Man I hate this car... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 wow you have had some seriously bad luck with that car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 wow you have had some seriously bad luck with that car! Some people do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 wow you have had some seriously bad luck with that car! Tell me about it... I did a pretty thorough check of the car when I took delivery, and NONE of the stuff that has gone bad so far was detectable. Timing belt was good, car ran well, no leaks, etc. The ONLY thing I noted was the started would sometimes just spin and not engage, but I've had starters on other cars do that for ages without any real issues. Now I've got an expensive, real pretty looking paper weight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 curiously, how did they find out that you had bent valves? i'm guessing a compression check.... which would yield false results with a broken timing belt as valves may be open or closed depending on where the cam came to rest when it stopped turning. also describe the events around the belt breaking, what RPM were you at more or less, how fast, etc etc. from what i've seen on the early Lq1s it is pretty difficult to bend valves unless you are way up in the rpms depending on where you are, the belt is easy and I have the tools to do the job correctly, If you are remotely local I'd have no problem helping out. as for the alternator, don't go replacing a good one if you don't have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I was wondering the same thing. How do you know they are really bent? How do you check for that with no timing belt anyways? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 the only way i see anyone being able to tell without the aid of a proper compression check is to either have some sort of micro camera to put down the spark plug hole or to remove the head to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 If that's the case I say throw the belt on and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Remember guys LQ1>LX-5 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Remember guys LQ1>LX-5 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA!!! head gasket sets cost how much for the LX5 again? and I need $1000 of kent moore tools to do that??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'm assuming the belt was installed and then they found out the valves were bent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I believe it was a compression test, but I'll double check when I go to pick up the car. I'd assume they would just set the cams so the valves are closed, and then test the compression. Back in the day, this shop used to be a british only shop, so they are no strangers to timing belt jobs. I'll definately double check their diagnosis, but knowing my luck with this car, they are probably right. I was definately not expecting this though, as it was only turning 1500 when it let go. As for the alternator, this car has the original, so I know it is just a matter of time before it goes. If it is substantially easier to do with the rear head off, I figure it would be smart to just head off the next failure in line while it is easy to get at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'm assuming the belt was installed and then they found out the valves were bent? Nope. They tested before installing the belt. Makes sense though, as there isn't much sense putting the thing back together with bent valves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Did they recently install the belt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Did they recently install the belt? Nope. It was the factory original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I threw my belt at about 3500rpm, and I was just fine. no point in replacing whats not broken, a reman one may be worse, alternators seem to be luck of the draw, mine has seen 2 different cars and over 100,000miles now, and it is a real cheap reman one. but to answer your question, i don't see it being any easier with the rear head off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I threw my belt at about 3500rpm, and I was just fine. no point in replacing whats not broken, a reman one may be worse, alternators seem to be luck of the draw, mine has seen 2 different cars and over 100,000miles now, and it is a real cheap reman one. I hear ya... but when I've got a bunch of stuff on in the car, the voltage drops slightly below a notch below 13. Not mention that I get a quick dim of the headlights when I hit the brakes. Based on that, I don't know if it has much longer to live. If I do replace it, it certainly wouldn't be a cheap reman. ...but to answer your question, i don't see it being any easier with the rear head off. Oh well... it was worth the thought anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontiac6KSTEAWD Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 From what I am reading and hearing, to do a proper compression test, a timing belt would have to be installed, for the lobes to be in the right alignment for the lifters, and for the compression to be checked acurately. I am willing to bet that you didnt bend any valve, and that you could throw a belt in that car, and drive away, with no worries, words from a GM ASE Master Tech from my local GM dealer, who seems to always be stuck working on LQ1's. He said, and I quote, "I have only ever seen one LQ1 bend a valve, and that was a turbocharged Fiero 4 speed stick, running at 110mph, at some 6300 RPM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmoore4294 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Same with me man. My timing belt broke, and i didn't bend any valves. Not sure what my rpm's were, but I was only doing 35 (school zone) On top of that, me not knowing that it was my timing belt that broke, I sat in my school parking lot for about half an hour trying to start the engine ever 5 min or so. As previously stated, I'd just put in a new belt and start her up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM Guy Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 A compression test can be done without the belt on. Very simple, remove the upper plenum and cam covers, spin the cams to the flats on the cylinder being tested. I seriously doubt you smaked any valves. Out of the total of four times the belt gave way on mine there has never been any damage. They probably did do a compression test but have no clue how to work on these engines or they figure they can take you for a ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted to eaton Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 this is what i like to hear... well if i had a lq1 with a bad belt.. id deff want to read this tread lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteCarloDude Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I have only ever seen one LQ1 bend a valve, and that was a turbocharged Fiero 4 speed stick, running at 110mph, at some 6300 RPM. good god. that just makes me want one even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Remember guys LQ1>LX-5 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA!!! head gasket sets cost how much for the LX5 again? and I need $1000 of kent moore tools to do that??? I have taken the engines apart with no specialty tools, head gasket sets are $340 at Conquest Auto Parts and the head bolts are $135 How many timing jobs, or oill pump drive seals, have I ever done on the LX-5? ZERO !!! I have seen (2) LX-5s needing head gaskets and remember I am looking for these cars in disrepair. If I was looking for cars to flip with LQ-1s to fix it would be a much easier search !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 If I was looking for cars to flip with LQ-1s to fix it would be a much easier search !! I cannot exactly call that a fair comparison the newest LQ1 car is 11 years old whereas the Newest LX5 is what 5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Mileage is a good equalizer. I have seen running LX-5s with well over 200,00 miles and they have never required anything other than an oli chang will an oil pump drive seal and a timing belt on an LQ-1 last 200k? GM recommends timing belt replacement at 60k, the LQ-1 in this thread didnt even make it that far. Let me show you why the LX-5 is better I wont circle any thing I'll just let you guess, this motor has 155,000 miles on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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