A must or not

[john_V63400]

Do you have to Completely pull the engine to change a timing chain and check compression on a 01 grand Am 3400.

The reason I ask is my mechanic says he will need to remove the egine, cause its easier to do a timing chain that way.

I think he just wants me to pay more money...Someone who has pulled this engine and changed the timing chain please respond with your thaughts.

Anyone else is welcome to add thier thaughts as well, I think he just wants to charge me more money, but Ive never done a timing chain so I dont know if it is better to completely pull the engine, that seems like more work to me!

[1988GTU]

Do you have to Completely pull the engine to change a timing chain and check compression on a 01 grand Am 3400.

The reason I ask is my mechanic says he will need to remove the egine, cause its easier to do a timing chain that way.

I think he just wants me to pay more money...Someone who has pulled this engine and changed the timing chain please respond with your thaughts.

Anyone else is welcome to add thier thaughts as well, I think he just wants to charge me more money, but Ive never done a timing chain so I dont know if it is better to completely pull the engine, that seems like more work to me!

You can do it in car... it's some work but easier in car than yanking an engine. Compression checking can be done in car with no sweat.
Your mechanic ftl.

[john_V63400]

Ok toomarrow when i tell him not to pull my engine what should i tell him, mechanically wise....
Exp. hey why you pulling my engine, its not easier to do a timing chain that way! Im not paying for it if you do it that way.

[bszopi]

It is easier to do the chain out of the car. BUT, it is possible to do it in the car. I'm pretty sure Isaac just did his in the car, and there is a thread around here talking about it.

[IsaacHayes]

It can be done with the engine in the car. Not fun, but do able. It helps to have 2 people, one to hold the flexplate from turning with a screwdriver while you take off the dampener and put it back on, and again when you are putting the cover back on. One to bring it down from the top, and one at the bottom to push it in and keep the oil pan gasket in place. It's not needed to remove the oil pan. It helps to use silicone to keep the gasket in place for the cover, and again to put some in the corners where the block, pan, and cover meet, and on the bottom of the cover where it touches the pan gasket. My pan gasket was swollen/longer (maybe from the carb cleaner) but I was able to push it down into the groove and slide the cover over it just fine.

You gotta figure out how to get the motor mount brackets and bolts in and out. For some reason taking them out was harder than putting them back in. I was able to put the cover on then the brackets and bolts no problem where I thought that would be hard.

[john_V63400]

Thanks guys, always much apreciated!
Im going to let my mechanic do his thing, just when he shows me the bill, Im going to have already had 3 or 4 written estimates from other shops around the city. Then if he does try and over charge m I can be like, hey why you charge me so much and all the other places are charging this much.
Ive always been pesimistic about my mechanic, so far so good.

[ForcedFirebird]

Thanks guys, always much apreciated!
Im going to let my mechanic do his thing, just when he shows me the bill, Im going to have already had 3 or 4 written estimates from other shops around the city. Then if he does try and over charge m I can be like, hey why you charge me so much and all the other places are charging this much.
Ive always been pesimistic about my mechanic, so far so good.

It will be odd if he reduces his price that way. If someone cam to me with estimates from somewhere else, I'd tell them to have it done there, then. Do it all the time with customers' houses I work on with my contracting company. In the end, most of them stay with us because of quality (or call us back when the "cheap guy" screwed something up). Sometimes faster/cheaper isn't always better.

Grab some wrenches, and do it yourself .

[john_V63400]

eXACTLY

[loner666]

it is possible to do in car..hell i just did my cam with the engine in the car still..like stated above its not the easiest but is possible..probably easier then pulling the motor

[sharkey]

pulling the engine really doesnt take that long if you have a hoist. what im guessing the guy will do is unhook the electrical, coolant hoses, and raise the car off the subframe with the motor/tranny atached to it. this would make doing the timing chain very simple and easy to work on. id guess it would take less time to do it this way then fight with it in the car

[IsaacHayes]

LOL loner you did the cam with the engine in the car? Did you drop the cradle to get it in?

[kflo 93 gt]

I was wondering the same thing Isaac, Loner that sounds crazy...

I've got this image of you cutting a 2" hole in the side of your car LMAO!

[TazMan]

It will be odd if he reduces his price that way. If someone cam to me with estimates from somewhere else, I'd tell them to have it done there, then. Do it all the time with customers' houses I work on with my contracting company. In the end, most of them stay with us because of quality (or call us back when the "cheap guy" screwed something up). Sometimes faster/cheaper isn't always better.

Grab some wrenches, and do it yourself .

Or at the very least make him give you an estimate before he does the work.