Chevy Colorado, Pricey Repair

Brief video on why a head gasket and timing chain repair on this little inline engine is so expensive

[@jamesjohnston9225]

I'm currently in the middle of replacing the timing chain/tensioner/guides set on this engine (282K miles) and had a thought after watching this and other vids. Wish I would have thought about it before 20+ hours of dissambly. I would rather have cut through the oil pan to expose this bolt, hold the pickup tube in place with a pair of vice grips. Remove the bolt. Do the front timing chain set replacement. Re-install the pick up tube bolt. Weld a patch on the oil pan.

[@michaelhoenes]

well i would say you have the right idea.....but... i would tap a 1 inch hole in the pan under the bolt. then takeout the bolt and replace with a long stud or bolt that would hold the tube in place. put it back together with a 1 inch plug and a lock nut or the original bolt.

[@jamesjohnston9225]

@@michaelhoenes nice solution

[@rotory2002]

The engine is a great engine and able to go 250K with normal oil changes but when it's time for the timing chain replacement, It would be easier to remove the entire motor !

[@toneyhunnell4862]

Got 337k on my Colorado and haven’t changed oil since around 180k still going like a champ. Give her a drink of fresh oil once in a while and she is golden.

[@jimscott5193]

Now thats inspiring to know. I just bought one with 203365.0, I hear these nightmares and really wish I had done better research on it.😳

[@luigiprovencher]

Why haven't you changed the oil?

[@joshr8666]

It may work.. though very surprised.. talk about a beater

[@chrispcream5905]

This is really stupid

[@shanemartin6822]

Take motor mount bolts and Jack engine up about 3 inches pan comes right out don't have to drop any thing mine is a 08 h3.

[@mikehall9831]

My daughter bought a used '07 with the 3.7 inline 5 with ~140,000 miles. Had all the maintenance records but less than 2 months into the purchase the engine jumped time, smoked one of the pistons as well as some valves. Needed a new head, timing chain kit, ec. and so on ended up spending ~$6700 on repairs. Wow, never knew of such a pricy rebuild, and no one had a reman (Jasper among others). Maybe should have pursued the 5.3 option?? Anywho, hopefully she will NOW get many years out of it, but was quite disappointed as I have had a number of vehicles easily make it 140,000 with zero engine issues (GM 2.2, 3.4, 6.0, Dodge 2.2, 3.9, Ford 4.9, Jeep 4.0 (BEST one of the mix), Ford 4.0, Subaru 2.5).

[@samgreen6144]

"Still better than Ford though" exactly what I was going to say in the comments 😂

[@DavidTheMechanic]

Yes there is only one bolt holding it to the timing cover actually the oil pump which is built into the timing cover but there are three bolts total that hold the pickup to to the bottom of the engine and all three have to be removed to get the pickup tube out and the timing cover loose

[@RikJames-dg1hd]

U can lower the pan and reach in with a wrench to get that bolt

[@crtinkering7323]

Could you modify the oil pan ...Like make a plug hole large enough to stick a 10mm socket with extension?? or is there just too much stuff in the way??

[@GameUnited64]

That's a great idea, I wonder if anyone has information about it

[@selenachorse1658]

They had an option (from 2009-2012) of a 5.3 v-8 ...find a wrecked one in the junk yard and make it work....the final results will be more satisfying

[@joshuamoore24_7]

It would seem easier to pull the engine out with a engine hoist, instead of removing the front drivetrain components!

[@hi-lineprecision.6796]

If your rebuilding the lifetime warranty timing kit is the way to go. The should of made enough room for the 4.2l

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

I'm looking forward to there being ONE bolt somewhere on the bell housing that keeps me from lifting this engine out.... The whole Atlas Series is about that ONE freakin' bolt that you can't get to without removing the rest of the vehicle!

[@hucktrucks1161]

Drop the pan without pulling the axles. Slip in a 10mm ratchet open style wrench and zip tie the bolt to keep it from falling in the pan and pull the bolt out. Now you can remove the cover.

[@PossumSoup_]

Wouldn’t it be easier to just pull the motor?

[@alexmarti9011]

Yes it’s like a quarter of the time

[@Captaintripps1]

Because its a nightmare i did my timing chain past year and it fucking sucked so bad

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

EVERY major part of the Atlas Series has at least ONE bolt that can't be reached without pulling off another major part, that won't come off because there is at least ONE bolt that can't be reached....etc! Not super hard, but super annoying and time consuming! (4, 5, and 6 cylinder engine are the same design) AND... Watch out for the models with the chain drive in the rear, for the balance shafts!!! Another win!

[@datchicochad4899]

Did you have any issues with it starting back up

[@bigwaves2824]

rebuilt a ford 5.4 triton it was the biggest nitemare i ever had

[@daltonchamberlain2409]

I just replaced my timing chain and mine is 4x4 and I didn't half to take the front axles out or anything

[@jamminmechanics]

Drop the pan just enough to get to the bolt? Also, do you have the 4 cylinder or 5 cylinder model? The year also effects this

[@daltonchamberlain2409]

@@jamminmechanics i have the 4 cylinder and my uncle has the 5 we done our both at the same.time and we didn't half to take the 4x4 out

[@abolmedo1699]

@@daltonchamberlain2409 Hello Dalton, were you able to get to the bolt without removing the pan, or did you tap a new hole, any help is really appreciated

[@GameUnited64]

I'm about to attempt to tap a 20mm hole on the oil pan to get that bolt, has anybody done this, I also heard people replacing the timing chain without having to remove the oil pan all the way but they don't elaborate, I appreciate the information if anybody can help ..

[@ronclaman156]

Yes it's been done but you need to clean oil pump pickup tube and screen or sooner or later it will lose oil pressure!!!

[@RG-wy1ol]

Do you have a video of the timing chain replacement?

[@ronclaman156]

I just pulled motor and installed it counter balance chain on back of motor you should replace with timing chain

[@clevelandrocksdzd]

What mileage was this Colorado when it need a timing chain? How did you know it needed a chain?

[@jamminmechanics]

Didn't. The engine overheated and warped the head. Had to replace the head and a lot of other components

[@ronclaman156]

2005. Colorado 3.5 363 k I could hear chain rattling against timing cover

[@jdw-616]

Any reason why a 2012 Colorado would burn substantial oil?

[@vicc3337]

Clogged pcv valve

[@earlgallup5223]

Yeah cuz it's a piece of s***

[@cbb9553]

Do you have to drop the oil pan to only do the head gasket?

[@jamminmechanics]

There's a tool you can get to jam the timing chain against the block so it doesn't fall off of the Crankshaft sprocket. Makes the job more of a pain, but might save a bit of time. A ton of procedural steps must be performed to ensure correct timing

[@cbb9553]

@@jamminmechanics so......... you do have to drop the oil pan or not to only do the head gasket???

[@jamminmechanics]

@@cbb9553 To do a head gasket properly you have to drop the oil pan, yes

[@cbb9553]

@@jamminmechanics thank you sir

[@559mafiaboi]

Is it worth fixing that problem mines clacking but still drives pretty good but sounds like a baby diesel 😂

[@TXCAMSS1]

Are both of y’alls still running? My 05 sounds like a diesel also lol I swapped the exhaust camshaft actuator solenoid and need to do the crankshaft sensor tonight. My truck cannot hold an idle anymore

[@justinpostma1254]

I have my 08 3.7 tore in half right now in my driveway in attempt to do my timing chain...it is a task and you need every ounce of patience you have. Doable. But you will smack your head silly with all of the design flaws, asshole engineers!

[@ozzstars_cars]

Easy money.

[@bma4203]

Pull The engine and tranny way easier and less stressful

[@earlgallup5223]

A real piece of s***

[@luigiprovencher]

The dealership would've just pulled the motor.

[@OldSkoolF]

Why not just pull the engine and do all the chains?

[@davidreed3165]

This should be illegal to design something like this for the common citizen.

[@jamesmiller7911]

Complete BS! How do they get away with this?

[@TheUnknownHarbingers]

Nobody really buys a vehicle based on how easy it is to fix it. You know most people don't know hardly anything about their vehicle. That's why there's a whole business around fixing them.

[@mattyfresh9698]

Name a ford thats as unreliable and hard to work on as these, and i dont need the garden variety know it alls answer of the plug design for a triton 5.4 because I know dang well I've seen em with OVER HALF A MILLION MILES and no stripped plug holes or broken off plugs because someone was smart enough to anti-seize em

[@violr]

Compare to 4.0 SOHC its nothing 🤣