Chevy Cruze Timing Cover Gasket Replacement & Water Pump, Alternator, Valve Cover, AC Compressor 

how much they charge you?

Hi, fyi If your pcv fails again it means your intake manifold has failed, it's a common problem that damages the pcv.

I understand what you're getting at, but to clarify for others: getting it back together exactly where it was tooth-to-link does not matter, but having the correct link count between gears/sprockets plus the camshaft/crankshaft positions matters, and is why I marked them so the link counts and the positions on the gears stayed the same before and after. Alternatively, I could have counted the links between each gear, blocked the camshafts and crankshaft, and put the chain back that way too. The marking just kills two birds in one stone and makes reinstallation faster.

I don't hear any noise on mine. I have used full synthetic 5w-30 its entire life.

Mine has 145k miles and I reused the chain. The chain should be well lubricated and not stretch much for a couple or three hundred thousand miles. The slack between the top of the cam gears was minimal. It can be difficult to tell if things were truly back to original by slack or tightness alone, hence why I painted the teeth and chain link to ensure everything went back exactly the way it was taken apart.

If something seems stuck then it's probably a missed bolt. The cover should come off pretty easy with a peeling-like stickiness.

This is good advice for someone already in the middle of the job and looking for a way to correct things, but I cannot recommend this as the desired approach going into this job since it's just too easy to think the chain is tight when it is actually out a single link. Marking the chain links and gear teeth ensures no slip ups.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Sir... the chain doesn't have a specific timing position like you think it does.. you can rotate the chain 60 degrees. 180 degrees... it does not matter. as long as its tight and no slack on the right side. only thing that matters is camshaft position and the phasers.

It's hard to say without pictures or video. The tensioner should not bounce that much, 2cm seems like a lot. The spring may be wearing out.

@@in-depthdiy2123 I am going to follow your instructions and replace the timing chain cover. It's the only thing that I can see that would be leaking oil onto the belt. here is a video of mine running. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TwSVizKcuv8.html Thank you

The crankshaft pulley bolt is a normal right hand thread bolt.

Typically I use a stethoscope on a stick to track down noises. It could be the chain being off one tooth, or it could be a multitude of other things. Quick check list off the top of my head... 1) Was tension put back on the chain, i.e. was the plunger fully released when the guides were put back. 2) Positive the chain guide mounting hardware went back on tight? I used loctite on mine. 3) Didn't leave a random tool or bit under the valve cover? 4) Is it for sure the chain and not a lifter or valve? 5) Is the crank bolt back on with the correct torque? It was a bit of a pain to get mine to click If the noise is truly from slack in the chain then the chain is either off a tooth or doesn't have tension from the plunger (which uses oil pressure to generate tension on the chain). I would start with what you suggested, pulling the valve cover off and taking a look. The top of the chain really should not lift far off the guide between the cam phasers at all, maybe a few millimeters at most.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Thank you, going to start at it again this weekend. I will look at each one of these steps.

OMG, so I found out what was wrong. I took the valve cover off and looked everywhere and found nothing. I turned the engine over and listened and heard nothing. I kept turning it over and all of the sudden oil shot out of the valves somewhere. I put the cover back on and put everything back in its place. The banging was gone. So, I can only assume that the oil pump was not primed and it was banging. as soon as it primed, it was good to go. Thank you for all of your help.

@@rdean1972 is it easy to do it ???

Understand this is not advice on what to do. I take no responsibility for your car or actions. To be safe, yes, you should set the timing if one/both camshaft moved separate from the other or the crankshaft. www.cruzetalk.com/threads/how-to-cruze-sonic-1-4l-turbo-luv-luj-timing-adjustment.235519/ On my vehicle, I'd probably try to rotate the camshaft back to the locking position. e.g. if it moved 1/4 turn clockwise, I'd move it 1/4 counter clockwise and lock it, assuming I had the red marks in the video to base everything on.

@@in-depthdiy2123 thanks for the reply, was able to get it set back right but now fighting getting the harmonic balancer on...cannot get it to line up with the oil pump and slide over the crank. These 1.4 are gonna be the death of me

Anyone know what the plugs are called where the pins go. We lost one an I need to order it. any help

I believe I removed those, but can't remember if it was necessary. I want to say everything on the timing cover is used to hold the cover onto the block in some way. I pried the cover off using a flathead screw driver on the sides near the cylinder head/block mating seam, and the bottom corners near where the oil pan touches. There are two alignment pins the cover slides on near the center left/right sides so don't pry it to one side too much, just enough to break the seal and pull off my hand.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Thank you! I found out they were not needed to remove the front cover. One was an inspection hole for the chain and the other had to do with the water pump. One more question. On reassembly, how did you keep the pulley from spinning when torquing the new balancer pulley bolt? Would a new bolt and impact be okay?

@@in-depthdiy2123 I have the crankshaft holding pin but I don’t think it’s meant to be used to torque the balancer bolt and I didn’t want to damage anything.

@@momikeoutdoors I agree, I wouldn't use the pin just in case something goes wrong. I also would not use an impact to put the pulley bolt on. The percussion from the impact can damage the crank. Instead I used a strong/big flat head screwdriver to put through the slots of the pulley and get leverage onto the lip on the bottom of the timing cover that is on the backside of the pulley. Using one hand to hold the screw driver and pulley in place, and other hand to torque the bolt down, I was able to get the pulley back on. It's not pretty or fun juggling two things at a time, but it worked for me.

I indeed torqued the balancer. I put a large screw driver through the oblong balancer holes and rested it on the bottom lip of the timing cover. I used one hand to hold the screw driver handle, and the other to turn the torque wrench. Took a little bit of positioning, but I was able to secure it down. I also put blue thread locker on that bolt as well.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Doing some research on seals, do we want a single lip seal or a double lip seal for this application? I definitely think upgrading to an all Viton Seal will handle the heat better than standard Buna. I'm just not familiar enough with them to determine where you'd use one over the other. Thanks for the tips. The crank seal is slightly leaking from behind the harmonic balancer. If I keep this car it might have to be addressed.

​@@daveg8119 Depends on what you mean by double lip. Some seals have two sealing surfaces and springs, essentially an inner and outer sealing surface. Others have a dust or wiper lip that shields the inner sealing lip from dust and random debris (like the factory seal and the ones I showed in the video). I think a single sealing lip with a dust lip is perfectly fine for this application. If you can find a viton, I'd go with that over alternatives. Search for "spring loaded rotary bore seal" or something along those lines to get the correct type of seal. I also tend to pack the seal between the seal lip and dust lip with high-temp silicone grease (high-temp faucet grease is common) before assembly. Keeps the lip from sticking on first start up, and helps stop any initial debris that might get past the wiper lip. High temp part helps keep it in place long enough to do something useful.

​@@daveg8119 It is not the cheapest option and the method described above certainly gets the job done, but GM does make a specialty tool for holding the balancer while torquing. The tool is Kent Moore Crankshaft Holder- EN-49979. You can sometimes find these on ebay from dealership liquidation sales, but you can also order it from the GM Special Service Tools website.

@@MrBryanBeaty Thanks for the suggestion. I've also seen that OTC has a universal pulley holder tool that might work for this. Kent Moore is nice stuff, but for a owner of a Cruze that doesn't wrench for a living, it's typically an expense, but also typically quality tools. For seals I was looking at the following. I have not used this website, or done this job, they have both a single lip and dual lip option, not sure which one I'd order. 9 years ago when I got the cruze metric o-rings to replace the coolant o-ring on the radiator cap was a big thing, as there were problems in sealing. Please let us know if you find one of these seals that fit. www.oringsandmore.com/viton-oil-shaft-seal-42-x-55-x-7mm-dbl-lip-price-for-1-pc/

I had 146k miles at the time. I didn't see the need for a new chain. I've ran multiple cars out to 300k miles with original timing chains so unless it has noticeable issues I tend to not replace them. Mostly personal choice, replace it if it's in the budget and would give peace of mind.

@@in-depthdiy2123 thanks for your feedback and I really appreciate your video

Depends on what the gasket is for. If the RTV is to bridge the gap at the head/block connection and the cover gasket is cork then yes. The cork will not form into the slight crack enough to seal it the way RTV would.

What I would probably do in that situation is still mark the old chain and gear teeth before removing it. Then lay the old chain next to the new one on a flat surface and transfer the old markings to the new chain.

Disclaimer: If anyone is concerned about buying a vehicle I can't recommend purchasing it. The owner(s) should feel safe in their vehicle. My opinions and thoughts are purely my own and everyone should come to their own conclusions. Discussion: depending on where the leak is on the timing cover it may or may not be a big deal. Mine wasn't bad simply because it leaked down the oil pan and made a mess, more annoying than an actual problem. However, if the leak is between the coolant jackets and the engine block (behind the cover) then it's possible to get oil and coolant mixing (only way you'd know this is by seeing oil in coolant or coolant in oil). I haven't heard or read of this happening, but it is a possibility (GM has used this design on many vehicles for multiple decades, it's probably happened before but not enough for them to change the design). If it is leaking externally then it's mostly an annoyance and makes a mess. There are concerns on cars that still have the underside shield getting hot oil on them and burning. If there is no underside shield this is not a concern, there was a recall many years ago to cut/remove the shield. I've owned my Cruze since new in 2012 and if the cover did not leak externally I would not have replaced it, going on almost 10 years later. A similar timing cover design is on the 3800 V6 engines used in Grand Prix and related vehicles with the water jacket passing through the cover for the water pump. I've had those timing covers leak coolant externally on the side of the coolant passage, but again, the coolant and oil did not mix inside the cover. There are other concerns almost every Cruze will experience (valve cover/PCV, water pump, turbo cracking) at some point. Read up on those if you want. Take what you want from all of this, I am only a single data point and sharing what I've experienced.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Great explanations. The dealer replaced the gasket and water pump. She ended up buying it. I guess we will see what happens in the future. Won't be many miles put on it since her daughter will just be driving back and forth to school in town for the next few years.

The original seal showed in the video is definitely the original. I've owned the car since new and have done all maintenance and work on it myself. GM switched to the smaller spring-less version in newer years so it's possible your car came from the factory without a spring seal. Good question about holding the engine up! When the timing cover is back on I used the original mounts that go over the water pump to hold it in place. It might also be possible to let the engine hang for a little bit without the passenger side mount, letting the mount/transmission on the driver side carry the weight. I cannot recommend doing that though since it's a lot of weight to let hang, but it might be able to hang for short periods of time.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Thankyou for your kind answer. So I've understood why there's two versions of the crankshaft seal! My car was made in 2014 and GM surely had already switched to the springless version of the seal!

Timing cover gasket sits behind the timing chain. Need to take the chain and guides off to get the gasket/seal off.

That's what I also want to know.

Technically yes, if done carefully, but in actuality it's easier to take it off. The RTV on the oil pan crosses the engine block to timing cover threshold. If you try to replace the timing cover without removing the oil pan you run the risk of not getting that RTV to seal properly around the oil pick up line for the oil pump.

@@gunnerb4u978 See my reply to TagGeorge

I think it's an E18 star socket, and M12 extra fine thread. I don't have the old bolt anymore to double check. I ordered the replacement through my local dealer and costs ~$4USD.

To re-seal the oil pan to the timing cover properly it is best to remove the oil pan and reapply RTV to the whole thing.

What plugs are you referring to? I may be able to find a diagram or name from the service manual if you can show me where in the video you're referring.

@@in-depthdiy2123 it’s where the oil pan an the block come together I think it called the crankshaft pin I wish I could just send you the pic. I’ve been all over the Internet looking an to all my local part stores

@@mariekimbrough267 Feel free to send me a pic via email indepthdiy@gmail.com I'll try my best to help. A picture is definitely more detailed than words.

You can google the size I mentioned in the video. Many brands and stores will pop up.

The chevy sonic was first introduced in 2012.

I think the only thing I didn't replace was the thermostat. I tend to replace all gaskets or rusty hardware, as much as I think is necessary for an easier job in the future. I even replaced the water pump during this job. Be good to your future self and give him/her a break!

@@in-depthdiy2123 I replaced all of that and the t-stat as well. Was looking for more possibilities. It is all complete and runs like a champ now.

It's literally just a flat piece of metal that spans the two crankshafts. It comes in a kit with the timing set/adjustment tools, but any flat metal bar that spans the two camshafts and fits snug in the slots will work.

@@in-depthdiy2123 Thanks! I figured that's all it was but wanted to be sure. BTW, we pressure checked the coolant system on 2014 Cruze and it held 19psi for 2 hrs and was at 14 psi after 4 hrs. Combining that with the oil level not increasing, it's unlikely coolant is getting into the oil. Both coolant and oil look very good. Planning on having oil analyzed. Plugs look good as well. We've been adding around 16 ounces of coolant every 600 miles or so. Car is used primarily for very short trips. We added coolant dye and I'm wondering if the coolant is degassing thru a small leak at the water pump while engine is running. It certainly is not burning coolant. The only other place where oil and coolant are is the oil cooler but neither coolant or oil show signs of cross contamination. Thank you for your reply.

@@gunnerb4u978 Late reply, but the water pumps most certainly off gas and cause coolant levels to drop when not sealing 100%. I added dye to mine years ago and eventually got enough gaseous moisture build up around the water pump shaft to see the dye. Another possibility is it off gassing through the cap, but if it's holding pressure that might not be it. If oil and coolant are both good and staying separate, and no visible external leaks, my bet is on the water pump shaft not sealing when running and up to temp.

where do u see markings at

@@deewilliams2607 The red paint marks on the chain and teeth are the markings I made.

I'm interested in hearing how the timing can be off if everything was reinstalled exactly like it was before. The rotation of the camshafts is locked by the slots shown in the video. If the crankshaft is marked, or just not turned freely so you don't know where it is in the rotation, putting the chain back exactly where it was (via the red paint marks) will ensure the crankshaft realigns itself to the camshafts. The crankshaft sprocket can only go on one of two ways, making alignment of the crankshaft pretty easy.

@@in-depthdiy2123 I wasn't talking about how you did it or your timing. I am talking to the other folks who are commenting about attempting this without a timing tool kit and saying the chain is loose. you should know when setting the timing... the device that goes between the sprockets is what makes the chain tight... doesn't matter what link goes where. that device removes any slack and then you unpin the tensioner.

@@in-depthdiy2123 and you want to know how? because you can have the cam shaft in correct position but the phasers rings can still rotate around. the phasers rings sit between the sprocket and the actuator bolt that you tighten up. that thing has a certain position and can move independently until torqued down

If you cannot figure out how to remove nuts and bolts without being shown I suggest you do not attempt this.