Cain92

i need help....and sorry this is long but please bare with me

im working on my father in laws 1998 cavalier 2.4 twin cam and it suddenly lost power while he was on his way to work he said that it would barely make it over 15mph

a friend of his at work suggested the timing chain jumped time......i am aware that the 2.4 motor is an interference motor and have been told that if the chain jumped more than three teeth the valves most likely struck the pistons

i need a way to check the condition of the valves without removing the head....

i would use a leak down test but the location it is parked has no possibility of having an air compressor nearby and no way to get one there....

i have heard that u can check the valves with a compression tester and if there is 0 or very little compression then the valves are bent......

thanks for reading this far anyway my real question is if the timing has jumped teeth and i test the compression will i still be able to check the valves with the compression tester or does the chain have to be "in Time"????

thanks
Cain92

Cain92

anyone have any thoughts or an answer to my question???........

anything would be helpful .........

thanks

maxxman04

compression test is about the only way, but yes, if it's jumped too far, you do risk further damage during testing. best is to pull head, have it checked out.

Cain92

true but he drove it above 5 miles before he shut it off and the started it a few times after it was stopped......i think its either the timing chain jumped a few teeth and the piston and valves didnt contact or one or two of the pistons bent or broke some of the valves since the engine has 16 valves or is that possible???

maxxman04

i'll assume pops doesn't have a heavy right foot with this car. so the possiblilty of hitting piston with valve is significantly less. IF you can, turn motor by hand both with plugs in it and plugs out. feel for any unusual binding. i'd go easy on the compression test, just in case, but this may give you an idea if valve(s) are bent

Cain92

you hit the nail right on the head haha .......... but he said that before the stopped the car it had problems for the last 5 miles and he said that no matter how hard he pushed the gas the car would top out at around 15 mph....... thats why i was assuming that a few or some of the valves are bent .................or the timing was that retarded that it didnt give the car any power.......

Cain92

and so ideally i should be able to take the timing cover off turn the crankshaft and there should be no resistance and that means the valves are ok and if there is resistance then the valves are bent??

Cain92

NEED REPLY ASAP!!!!

im starting on the timing chain and need to know how to check for bent valves......

if i take the timing cover off and turn the crankshaft and theres no resistance then the valves are ok...... and if there is resistance then the valves are bent?????

am i correct?????????????

and thanks for the help so far maxxman04

MDTAHOE

There is no easy way to check without putting it back in time first. I have seen several of these break without bending valves. Usually when the valves are bent they no longer run. If you put it back in time you can then compression test it.

Cain92

ok thanks for the info MDTAHOE

and how would i know if the timing is advanced or retarded or out of time at all??

to tell you the truth my father-in-law likes to listen to other people (not me) when it comes to his cars and someone that he thinks knows about automobiles told him that the timing chain jumped so im not arguing if he wants the timing chain replaced then ill replace it

but id just like to know before i replace it if thats actually the problem lol