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Am I missing anything on a Head Gasket replacement on 2003 Cavalier LS 2.2 EcoTec?

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Old Aug 23, 2025 | 6:00 PM
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Question Am I missing anything on a Head Gasket replacement on 2003 Cavalier LS 2.2 EcoTec?

So I just do not want to be negligent, if I can help it. My 2003 Cavalier LS Sedan with a 2.2 Liter EcoTec started misfiring and dying at idle a year ago, so I took it off of my insurance and went and parked it in a carport in the country, but it is time to fix it. I took it to a shop and they ran diagnostics on it as I was thinking it was fuel-related, but they told me that they believed it was slightly off timing and then quoted me a ridiculous amount, so I am looking to do it myself, and I figured while I was at it, I should handle the Head Gasket. I have never done something this involved or complex (I am green and inexperienced in the complex mechanical jungle of home-auto-repair), so I am seeking guidance on this. I am mainly concerned with making sure that I have all of the parts that I will need to do this job right, as I am finding limited resources online. While researching the timing chain, I learned that it would not be a bad thing for me to replace the head gasket, but this has me wondering if there are any other parts that I should replace while I am in the motor.
If you have done this or have experience with it, could you please offer any recommendations you might have on things to consider or other parts that I should replace while replacing the timing chain and head gasket? Right now, I figured the job would consist of a primary timing chain kit (chain, guides, tensioner; with sprockets), a thermostat & housing seal, new spark plugs, a new water pump and flush on the coolant system, a timing cover gasket, crank pulley bolt, a valve cover gasket set, a head gasket set (includes intake/exhaust/manifold gaskets, valve cover, front cover seals.), new head bolts, new engine oil and a filter, and a throttle body gasket, but I might be missing something that I should replace while I am at it, and that is where I am looking for direction please.
If anyone knows of some useful resources on how to complete this, I would greatly appreciate it if you shared them, and if you have experience with this, any guidance you can offer would mean a lot to me. I just do not want to do 2-3 days of work and then find out I missed a simple sensor or something that would have been easy to swap while I was in the car. Thank you in advance.

So far, I have found this http://www.originalmechanic.com/2016...ain-on-gm.html,
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