Equinox / Terrain 2.4L ECOTEC Blown Motor Teardown! What Happens When You Run These Low On Oil?

Email all part requests to [e-mail].
This weeks teardown is a 2.4L Direct injected Ecotec engine from a 2012 GMC Terrain. This engine was supplied by Premier Automotive in East Alton, IL! The Terrain this came from has 140k miles and this engine was NOT the original, which means this Terrain is on its at least 3rd engine, pretty bad!
My name is Eric and I own and run a full service auto salvage business called Importapart located in the Saint Louis MO area. Part of our model is dismantling and selling parts from rare and niche market engines. I don't build or rebuild engines, we simply supply hard parts to those that do!
Want to see a particular engine torn down? I may have already done one! No really, check out my other videos for the engine you'd like to see! I've made over 70 other teardowns from a Cummins to an LS7, and from Rotary to Ram Ecodiesels. You can expect a new teardown every week!
Check them out here • Blown Up Engine Tear D...
As always I appreciate all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism.
What will I tear apart next week? Just wait and see!
-Eric

[@ericpiatt2436]

Is a shot in the dark, but a 1.0 Ecoboost would be awesome to see. They are such an odd engine, and is hard to find videos of people testing them down.

[@agenericaccount3935]

Second this motion. Lot of weird engineering magic in those things.

[@Bimmerguy88]

I third this motion! I’ve never actually even seen one! Lol

[@f688xt6]

I have asked for this one a few times. Mine cracked a head early on and it was replaced under warranty, but I've heard it's somewhat common. I would think they're find-able...?

[@bobbyvarnell9350]

I forth this motion, they are a weird little engine.

[@Juk90]

1.5 ecoboost 3cyl would be nice too.

[@martinw89]

Can you imagine the incredible symphony this thing made when it jumped time

[@thomasfletcher4765]

Something like " brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt " ?

[@matthewbowen5841]

Since it has such a high failure rate, almost anyone who has worked in a shop has heard an Ecotec 2.4 self destruct.

[@sparticknight]

@@thomasfletcher4765 a10 gunrun? lmao

[@litz13]

That is, without a doubt, the most top end damage of any engine you've disassembled. 16-for-16, clean sweep.

[@Lucariorunner]

Valve bingo

[@greebj]

a frag grenade would be proud to produce that much shrapnel

[@dougrobinson8602]

@@Lucariorunner More like a pinball or pachinko machine, but I see your point. Complete and utter destruction.

[@christopherweise438]

@@Lucariorunner - "Let's pour out the rocker arms." - Eric

[@iamgermane]

What about the 2.4 engine GM put in Saturns and other cars that had bad rings and prompted a class-action lawsuit.

[@DDE_ADDICT]

i love that satisfying sound of the head bolts breaking free

[@TechGorilla1987]

One of my favorite things.

[@johnparker221]

You know. That sound should be irritating but to me it is oddly satisfying and calming. Lol

[@jfan4reva]

Makes me cringe every time. Thank goodness for time-lapse post processing!

[@culturemotived2190]

Same

[@DDE_ADDICT]

@@johnparker221 I totally agree, it reminds me of getting my back cracked its, kind of relieving

[@MichaelAStanhope]

I replaced so many of these engines when I was a mechanic. I refused to warranty the engine after it left the shop because of all of the problems they had. The non-DI 2.4 was a pretty good engine, except for the cam solenoids being stupid, but at least they are cheap and easy to replace. If you update the hydraulic timing chain tensioner in the older engines that had timing chain problems, they will run forever. Still have the original engine in my 2003 Saturn L200 and at 230k miles, never have had issues with it after replacing the tensioner. Its amazing how much you learn about EcoTEC engines when you work on them for 15 years!

[@obedhyppolite275]

Still running my 2003 saturn vue 4 cylinders manual transmission

[@mikecoackley6852]

Same here got 230,000 out of my cobalt 2.2l updated tensioner at 125,000. Awesome engine. Car rusted out.

[@bleach_drink_me]

I have had and worked on several older 2.2l and 2.4l ecotec engines. I lived by and have told customers "if you keep it full of clean oil they will run forever. " I recently had a old 283k mile 2.2l Ion come in for an oil change. Engine still sounded really good and oil wasn't sludge. I really hope she becomes a regular,I would like to see how long it goes and what issues come up.

[@MichaelAStanhope]

@@bleach_drink_me Just change the damn oil. Its the best preventative maintenance you can do. I change mine every time the light comes on, and never had an issue, and the car had 130k on it when I bought it. My 2004 Saturn Vue I bought non-running, they never changed the oil and the chain broke, literally broke! The oil was so thick I never bothered trying to get it out of the junk engine, i just replaced the engine, it was easier!

[@MichaelAStanhope]

@@obedhyppolite275 i have a 2004, great car with a stick, good on gas too for its size. Unfortunately mine had a trashed engine when I got it, so its not the first engine (actually, i think its the 3rd one at least!), but that thing has over 400k on it now. Its been used hard!

[@JohnnyAFG81]

We need a Fiat 1.4T multiair from an Abarth or 500L. Keep up the good work.

[@keithwalton]

The electro-hydraulic valve train in those is something else, and yet they still have camshafts. They probably never run low / long on oil for long enough to do any serious damage as the intake will just quit functioning and put the car in limp mode

[@Junkyardnedreck]

Ya, why we are at it, let’s shoot for a Briggs & Stratton 5 hp from a go cart…..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂

[@dkmorris713]

shouldn't be hard to find a failed unit.

[@koltonshampine5441]

Usually these multi air engine stall when they run low on oil rarely does any bottom end damage occur the biggest Sign they are low on oil is a no start condition

[@MontieMongoose]

I had an EcoTec that went 250k miles before I sold it. I bought it with 16k miles. They can be reliable if you change the oil.

[@iamgermane]

What about the 2.4 engine GM put in Saturns and other cars that had bad rings and prompted a class-action lawsuit.

[@Dumpy007]

No

[@valiantsloth]

2.4L is crap, hence the lawsuits and recalls. Might get lucky with one here and there. Mine didn't start burning a shit ton of oil until after it passed the mileage limit for the recall and they only do the warranty repair if you're consuming oil.

[@PlxsmaX]

@@iamgermanemy 2001 grand am has that engine and it has so many issues at 75k miles

[@user-oe3fw9ks2t]

different year engine take care of your shit and it will last. @@PlxsmaX

[@CathyInBlue]

"We're just gonna take all the bolts out and see what happens." That should be the name of the channel.

[@stevend3753]

I’d love to see him crack an old Quad-4 motor.

[@Silversmok3]

Problem is those Quad-4s tend to crack themselves

[@alberteinstein3078]

@@Silversmok3 yeah they love crack!

[@SportsMusicCars]

@@Silversmok3 lmfao

[@Clairetriple2]

Me watching this knowing, “If you take care of your car it will take care of you”. I have a 2010 Chevy cobalt lt with the 2.2 vvt LAP which is a similar engine. I change my oil every 3000 miles and have replaced the timing chain tensioner. I have 160,000 miles on my car and no issues.

[@christopherweise438]

Regular maintenance is the key to anything lasting. Especially religious oil changes. I'd rather pay for a bunch of oil changes, then a bunch of engines.

[@samholdsworth420]

My buddy has a Pontiac G6 with 250,000 miles on his ecotec engine. Although it's sfi not direct injection

[@PioneerOPioneer]

So I had to double check but, your engine is the type he talked about as being a more reliable engine. Your engine does not have direct injection, it does not suffer from the oil consumption issues, and if it did run low on oil it wouldn’t jump time and blow apart the rockers. This is the LAF engine, and based on the intervals you change your oil, that’s more than twice as often as these engines are rated to get changes. So if the manufacturer is going to program the car on an indicator base, or state in the owner’s manual that the interval is 7500 miles, the laymen is going to trust that and the manufacturer is committing to that being a safe standard. Could we argue about checking oil amount regularly? Probably. However if the car has a low oil indicator that only warns you after the engine jumps times and blows apart the rockers that is a shit design and never was something that should have been allowed to pass QC. But like too many manufacturers now, as long as these failures occur 95% of the time outside of warranty that’s good enough, instead of just improving the material quality.

[@Mawyman2316]

I changed at 3000 miles too, till it ate enough to still run dry in less than 3k, destroying the engine.

[@bradnoyes7955]

My uncle had a 2.4L Equinox, it burned a quart of oil every 800 miles (that means it would burn through it's entire oil capacity in 4000 miles, so you had to add oil regularly) but Chevrolet refused to replace the engine under warranty because it wasn't "excessive oil consumption"

[@fastbusiness]

Yep. I went through the same game they play to avoid taking responsibility for the problem. It is a defective engine design and they know it, but aren't going to pay to replace their millions of trash engines. They just screwed over a huge number of their "loyal customers" who trusted them to produce a reliable product. F... Chevrolet. 😡

[@deere3321]

@@fastbusiness Me too. They said mine wasn't one of the bad ones even though it drank oil. I changed the oil my self every 4000 miles and used Mobil 1. It didn't matter

[@a3300000]

It’s the low tension oil control rings sticking. It might be different factories using different vendors. I have a 2014 that doesn’t use oil. At least so far.

[@Cmars_8739]

Mine blew the motor and I still owe nearly $10k on it. Not sure what to do

[@CaptainSpadaro]

@@a3300000 the 2014s supposedly have updated rings that mitigate/eliminate the issue. I say supposedly because the 2014s weren't included in the lawsuit, but I'm pretty sure I've heard stories of (and seen a few) 14s with no oil on the stick.

[@Frank-zx9om]

My father has a awd 2013 equinox with the 2.4 ecotec engine it has 200k miles and still on the original engine/trans

[@christopherweise438]

A very nonchalant "That didn't sound good". Eric....you are the master of understatement. Thanks for the great Saturday nights.

[@permutatechguy]

One of the best parts of Saturday!

[@paulstan9828]

My favorite Saturday evening show!

[@tracedixon]

My grandpa has a Malibu with this motor and is still trucking at 220k miles original everything.

[@Metalman2351]

Ecotec 2.4?

[@lieutenantdan8170]

The snapping noise is the VVT actuator there's supposed to be a pin that holds it when there's no oil pressure but they break all the time due to sludge from no oil changes so when the engine is being started you'll hear rattling from the VVT actuators until oil pressure builds up, it's also a recipe for snapping valve springs in half which i've personally seen happen.

[@christopherjones512]

Very simple change oil

[@09corvettezr1]

Another problem these engines can develop if oil changes are at all infrequent is to do with the PCV port in the intake. These engines do not have a PCV valve, the crankcase pressure is metered into the intake via a small hole in the intake that can become easily plugged with sludge if the engine is at all grimey inside. This will cause excessive crankcase pressure which will hinder the oil control rings ability to do their job, or cause seal leaks around the engine. They also like to crack exhaust manifolds, which becomes a pain as the exhaust manifold studs love to break in the heads, and if I had a nickel for every time a part of the timing chain guide did find its way into the oil pickup a would have several more nickels.

[@christopherweise438]

"several more nickels" LOL!!

[@williamletts9487]

my grandparents had their pcv get plugged in their equinox with a 2.4 and I ended up having to drop the motor to replace the rear main seal that it blew out from excessive crank case pressure

[@johnmitchell8925]

@@williamletts9487 What year?

[@BigRedtheGinger]

If you do another notorious FWD GM engine after this one, could you teardown a Cadillac Northstar? The 2005 and up engines had larger head bolts and were more reliable. The 2000-2004 engines had longer head bolts than the 1999 and older ones, but same diameter and thread pitch. Though all versions had oil leak issues. Rear main seals and oil pan gaskets are fun....

[@HearsingAround]

we're working on one rn a 2001 from a hearse and we have a 2002 coming in regulary for maintenance the fun fact is the 01 uses finer threads then the 02 the 01 has the stripped threads problem and we're looking into either helicoiling it or just simply putting studs in it otherwise good smooth engines but hey it still aint a ford 3v

[@matthewtaylor3308]

I’d like to see a Northstar on the channel

[@BigRedtheGinger]

@@HearsingAround if the customer is up for the extra cost of it, Northstar Performance has their head stud kit. They provide their own centering tool, drill bit, and tap. As long as it doesn't overheat, they'll never have to worry about a headgasket. But it's pretty expensive and very labor intensive.

[@HearsingAround]

@@BigRedtheGinger we looked into it. Its just we have to add 33% to the price for import and taxes so we might just order the studs and make te tool ourselves. Its already a spicey bill cause we did the headgaskets only 4 months ago and got the wrong thread bolts from the parts vendor. So we had to improvise and used ford mondeo headbolts and a washer to accomodate for the longer headbolts. 1 bolt didn't want to tighten down all the way but the engine ran fine till last week when the headgasket went out again. We're still waiting on reply from the customer. He has a new 2021 v6 fwd cadillac hearse and is in no hurry to fix this one (backup hearse since i bought his old caprice hearse) Otherwise the engine comes out pretty easy for a fwd v8 and ran like a dream. I myself have a couple of gm cars both us and european and they do have issues but rather small ones. My old opel astra gsi has one of the best gm inline 4's. The c20xe which is used worldwide except us and ca but in brazil and here in europe they use it in all kinds of race and kit cars

[@Youtubesubverts1rstamendment]

I worked at a Dodge dealer as a line tech early in my career when a Dodge Sebring came in with 21,000 miles and had never had an oil change and eventually froze up the engine.

[@seandunne7977]

I caught that look back to the camera when you heard that first pop, I like that we are really enjoying this with you as you go!

[@MrDfbwa]

FINALLY! A 2.4L Ecotec. I have a 2011 Terrain with this engine with over 200k miles on it. Yes, it does burn oil, but I have kept a close eye on it ever since I decided to check the oil when we were on a 400+ mile freeway trip and it barely touched the dipstick. Ever since then, I keep it topped up, change the full synthetic oil every 4k miles and it is still actually going pretty strong. I find that it burns about 1.5 to 2 quarts of oil between changes, so I can live with it for now. My wife loves the vehicle, with it's AWD for the winter and since the body and interior are still in really good shape, we plan to keep it at least until the engine lets go and then consider another, newer 2.4L to drop in it.

[@timh36]

You're doing good with 200k on it, just proves that regular maintenance is well worth it.

[@fredgablick7652]

“First, let’s pour the rockers out of this thing.” I LOL’d.

[@grapeknutz]

I started at a GM dealer back in the 70s , as time goes on I am shocked at the quality that has gone down on most everything that GM has made, but your channel keep me informed and entertained. Keep up the good work.

[@grapeknutz]

@Retired Bore What is killing GM are the bean counters making GM products poor quality as compared to Toyota .Toyota really focus on product quality. This where GM fails to deliver.

[@a3300000]

GM hasn’t made a decent vehicle in over 2 decades.

[@SportsMusicCars]

gm was pure crap in the 70s 80s and 90s.

[@adey88splace]

"pour out the rocker arms..." Classic.

[@garylarson6386]

I totally enjoy your videos, I am so glad I no longer work on cars, the 1960 and 70's V8 were so easy, the wonderful invention was fuel injection, carbs were such a pain !

[@shawnsilverstang2138]

Love these tear downs, I look forward to them every Sunday when I wake up. Keep it up man.

[@jakedockerill7330]

Love watching the strip downs of these engines as there’s loads we don’t get here in the UK, amazing how far some try and go before they eventually die. One that might be interesting is a Volkswagen VR6 (they’re in Audi and Porsche as well so there’s a few about) as they’re built pretty tough but also loads of quirky design features.

[@s1acr457]

It's easier to eliminate valve float if they never move, this is genius engine design!

[@HenryJPB]

Another Saturday, another engine teardown, AWESOME. Keep it coming.

[@TomPauls007]

Yup - when I saw the loose V.T. chain for this interference engine, I knew there was going to be some fun inside!

[@617aaron617]

I had a 14 equinox for a short time and last year, right at the start of our vacation, it decided it no longer wanted its timing chain. We only had 108,000 miles on it when the chain let loose, practically destroying the inside of the engine. The only choices we had were to rebuild the engine for $5,800, install a new engine for $7,200, or salvage the car and maybe get $400 back. We decided to rebuild the engine and then promptly got rid of the car as we did not want any other surprise repairs that would cost us an arm and a leg. I imagine that the inside of my engine probably looked very similar to the one you worked on here.

[@chacha.S11]

But hold on. You went through the dealership to replace the engine right Why didn’t you find a good engine in the used market. Engine with decent miles and a warranty. Also if you find a street mechanic who has experience they can do the job for 1500$ Roughly everything should cost you 3 grand

[@Jakek200]

Yep I've seen one of these with all of the rockers smashed like that. These Direct Injection Ecotec's are a reliability nightmare everything from terrible oil consumption caused by clogged piston rings (why so many of these end up running out of oil), rear main seals literally blowing out due to PCV valves plugging up, timing chain related failures, constant exhaust manifold cracking, these engines EAT their cat converters (there was a recall on some of these for that) probably because of their oil consumption, VVT Solenoids going open circuit, VVT Phaser failures and so on. Doing timing chains on these is pretty much 2nd nature for me at this point. I will give these engines credit though, I've never seen an engine run as well as these on

[@sparkplug1018]

Its kind of irritating to me that they ruined them like this. The earlier ones that didn't have VVT or DI are pretty darn reliable if you check the oil now and then. They go and update it which should improve them and this happens.

[@Jakek200]

@@sparkplug1018 And what's worse is they seem to have made no attempt to fix these problem's during the engine's production run from 2010 to 2017-ish. A 2017 2.4 LEA has the exact same pattern failures as it's 2010 version.

[@420architecMindNDesign]

there really reliable engine if you change your oil

[@joe1273]

@@420architecMindNDesign maybe, most usually burn oil and the oil life indicator is way to long.

[@420architecMindNDesign]

@@joe1273 they burn oil because the control rings get so caked with carbon from not doing regular oil changes

[@lancelefevre351]

Hey man, really quick. I wanted to catch a video as it dropped to hopefully get to tell you something. I appreciate your content. I like how you're just you. You seem pretty happy to be you and pretty genuine. That's nice to see. I love engines as well so I enjoy the content regardless, but I appreciate how you come across as just you in all your videos. It's very wholesome and I appreciate you.

[@genedunn9283]

“Oh, it’s shooting parts everywhere…that’s fine”. And that ladies & gentlemen is what makes this channel such fun to watch!

[@Sam_Saraguy]

My vehicle doesn't lose any oil between changes, but watching your vids has me checking oil every time I stop for gas.

[@tad6176]

I have 2 cars with this engine 2008 and 2014.So far no problems. You should check your oil when the engine is cold, not when you stop for gas.

[@hewhohugs]

Yooo I've been watching you for a bit! I work in St. Peters, didn't know you were right down the road! Keep up the great work :)

[@buellrod]

Thank you brother for give me something to watch on a boring Saturday night always enjoy your content

[@davidp2of3]

I love watching your teardowns.

[@davehu8829]

My 2010 equinox 2.4 at almost 400k, change oil every 5k, also did the GM recall.

[@laxbeach2381]

Maintenance is key for the most part on everything. It amazes me sometimes how far people will go between oil changes. I’d rather spend money changing oil, than changing an engine. The design of this engine may be one thing, however the engine in this video seems to come from a defective owner.

[@christopherweise438]

@@laxbeach2381 - Agreed. Everything is brown or black. Must've changed their oil every 40,000 miles.

[@kleenhall6885]

@@laxbeach2381 our 2012 was burning oil from the start first oil change at 2400 miles and it was low on oil amongst other dumb issues

[@skylinefever]

I have been told that if an Ecotec timing chain is one tooth off, it is a catastrophe. I had a 2003 Saturn ION and my dad had a 2007 Pontiac G6 and we got a lot less out of our Ecotecs than we expected. Although we maintained our cars right, I had low compression on cylinder #3 at 130,000 miles, and my dad's suddenly started burning oil and coolant at 140,000 miles. Since neither of our cars were worth saving, I wanted to take them out with a Dukes Of Hazzard ending. 13:03 That cover exists to you can replace the water pump without removing the timing chain. The Quad4 also had a timing chain operated water pump, but the whole timing cover and chain drive had to come out to replace it. You do need a specialty tool to replace the Ecotec water pump without removing the chain, but it costs so little, it would be worth it for just one use. 14:00 I think the inherent imbalances of 4-cylinder engines are best corrected by having 2 shafts. That's why Mitsubishi had 2 shafts like that. It's also why many current engines have 2 shafts in the oil pump. 15:00 The oil fed timing tensioner got redesigned more than once to solve problems. 20:29 I like how the crank already has some knife edge to it. Usually when you want knife edging, you have to pay an automotive machinist to modify your cranks. 21:14 Many current engines have 2mm or 2.5mm rings. It takes very little sludge to make the useless. Also, pistons don't have many provisions to let oil drain back, increasing the problem. Some people drill extra holes in the oil ring grove if they rering a modern engine. 21:28 That is probably a 3mm oil ring.

[@jeffambrose5244]

As someone that has no experience with this engine I Will be working on a 15 equinox for oil burning issues thank you for these videos they do help out many.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

How did things go on the '15? How much oil was it using? 🤔 I just bought a '13.

[@rmp5s]

Instead of "malice in the combustion palace", this time we got "everything dead in the head-shed"...or maybe "battering ram in the cam program". Brutal!!

[@lordcorgi6481]

In all fairness to the owner, that car wasn't going to last very long anyways 🤣 My neighbor had one and it needed a new engine under warranty thankfully. He sold it after that and said he'd never buy another GM. My cousin had one that at least made it out of warranty, but yeah it installed an inspection hole in the side of the block 🤣

[@PorscheRacer14]

Ohh fancy! As a former GM tech, we used to call them leak-o-techs :) Yes, they have become better, but the early ones 20 years ago, oh boy. And then imagine direct injection and maybe a bunch of boost and people that don't have time for pesky oil changes or warning lights.

[@timh36]

Yep this engine was not meant for people that didn't do maintenance, or at least check to see if there was any oil. 🙄

[@volvo09]

I remember getting a little GM rental crossover with a little turbo 4 in it and I said to myself "holy crap, I bet people are going to trash this thing with neglect". If people blow up Toyota engines due to a lack of maintenance, imagine how quickly a high tech turbo DI engine in a larger car will fail?

[@almarkowbender]

@@volvo09 any engine will fail from lack of maintenance

[@pushhrodd01]

@@almarkowbender no it won’t. i’ve had many jeep 4.0s OM617 and 1UZs that were neglected to hell and they still made it 230k no issues. some engines are just stronger than others

[@almarkowbender]

@@pushhrodd01 I've had 2 4.0Ls over 200k, trust me you're not special. But if you truly did have them you'd know all of them have leaky valve cover gaskets and various other slow leaks and maybe burning a little oil too. Depending on how much it's leaking and how much you drive it etc you may need to add oil. Not to mention if you actually replace the valve cover gaskets or do an oil change, you know like I was saying MAINTENANCE

[@Mike-pr8hx]

Four or so minutes in and all I see is 'lol'. Love these videos and I'll watch every single one until you get too busy to make them. Highly anticipated everytime.

[@russellstyles5381]

I see that you found a drip pan that fits over an engine stand base. Nice.

[@nickbrooks3253]

Earlier Ecotecs were pretty decent engines but they became terrible when GM added direct injection. Many of these direct injected Ecotecs including this one are oil burners. If you run it low on oil habitually the main timing chain stretches and it will eventually stretch enough it jumps time and causes the failure seen in your engine. The loose chain slapping around can also break the chain guides. Yours had the plastic broken off that top guide between the cam actuators but that black plastic guide on the front also breaks all the time. You have to run one of these extremely low on oil to mess up the rod and main bearings. I've torn down many that were 3L low on oil and the bearings looked fine. Other common issues with these things are the pcv orifice in the intake manifold clogging up. After this happens if you live in a cold area in winter the pcv vent tube will freeze with condensation and cause the crankcase to build up excess pressure in it which often blows out the rear main seal and causes a massive oil leak. If the customer doesn't notice the leak this will quickly empty out the crankcase and kill the engine. High pressure fuel pumps often fail and leak gas into the crankcase. Other than that issue the rest of the direct injection stuff is reliable and rarely causes issues, Another problem is the camshaft actuator solenoids failing and causing check engine lights. If you own one of these engines already and want it to last only use full synthetic oil and check the level often. Also change the oil really regularly. If you have rattling from the front of the motor where the chains are get the chains and guides replaced. Don't ignore the noise. At idle there should be a slight vacuum in the crankcase that can be checked through the oil dipstick with a gauge. If there is not or if there's positive pressure the PCV orifice in the intake is clogged and needs to be cleaned out otherwise it's a time bomb that can blow the rear main seal.

[@pmscalisi]

Also remember the VVT engines make a clicking sound from the valve train with normal operation. Don’t get that confused.

[@Mike-yq7ce]

Shouldnt be a clicking from the VVT. That clicking is most likely from the high pressure fuel pump on the direct injected engines

[@peterpeter5666]

A water pump should NEVER be driven by timing chain. its a PART THAT FAILS often enough

[@scrappy7571]

The water pump has it's own chain, nothing to do with cam timing

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

@@scrappy7571 you still have to pop off the timing chain cover to get to it

[@scrappy7571]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 Not really, there is a small cover in the timing cover. (can see 3 bolts in vid) A special tool goes in the hole and holds the chain, and you can remove pump from rear of timing cover. Actually the water pumps are pretty durable, compared to the rest of this turd.

[@peterpeter5666]

@@scrappy7571 I know, that's not the point. From easy repair to needing a special tool to replace pump and still have a risk to thought balanced shafts off their marks.

[@Friend_of_the_One-Eyed_Ladies]

Don't know why I found that one so entertaining, but I did. Clean sweep on rockers!

[@MatthewTheCCMA]

I was sitting at a stop light and I started to hear a rattling chain sounds and also at the light was a 2011-2016 Chevrolet Equinox just rattling away. Over the years I’ve heard tons of these engines rattling in public. It became a game where I’d look at my spouse and say “their timing chain is gonna leave the chat soon” well this engine sounded 200 times worse and then as poetic as it could be I heard a loud clang sound and the engine turned off. She tried to turn it back on but it had that distinct sound of an engine that the timing chain broke. My heart went out to her, I had a heart 2010 Cobalt with the 2.2 that had timing chain issues. It’s not a fun time at all!

[@Boodieman72]

It's amazing what not doing routine maintenance does to an engine. 3 engines and all it would have taken would be to check the oil level.

[@jmac2o229]

Bet you they did, but these things DRINK oil. They're absolutely notorious for it.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Sorry no time to CK my oil I have to get to work to pay for this new used engine I just got🤣

[@russellstyles5381]

You should check. If it is ever not totally full, you have problems. There is no excuse for oil consumption. Outside of wankels, that are designed to burn oil.

[@member57]

I don't know that much about the 2.4 ecotechs but I have had 2 of the 2.2L and they have run flawlessly for 200k, one survived till 300k when my son killed it. Only issue with that one was an oil leak. I told him to check the oil weekly.. Did he listen... Nope.

[@carsonpurswell4796]

Man I really like the way you do your videos man. Keep doing what your doing haven’t seen a bad video. And I wonder what this sounded like

[@simonatkinson6389]

Now this was my first view on your channel. Loved it! That engine must have been at max revs when it blew! I bet it made some interesting noises when it gave up!

[@MichaelAStanhope]

Id love to see you tear down an Oldsmobile Quad4 engine just to compare that design to this one. They share alot of design similarities.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Those engines were non turbo and port injected. And I believe they only had 2 coils which were a common failure issue along with the torque converter solenoid

[@evanherrera9735]

My dad and I are replacing the head on a 2011 Regal and the carnage is pretty much the same! Watching your vids is the only reason I thought of that chain guide bolt behind the plug. I've learned A LOT from watching your vids and it has actually helped me recognize different parts of the engine that I wouldn't have thought to check/disassemble. So, thanks for the content and keep it up!

[@jmabs5096]

If it's that bad, your better off (and your sanity) why not just purchase a used head? Think your better off that way unless your doing it for experience, but if a head is tore up that bad, you will be in the hole vs just buying an used head. Problem is that all engines this old 9/10 are probably already crap due to cheap rings they put in these and will burn oil too.. Oh and don't forget to replace that infamous timing chain regardless!

[@evanherrera9735]

@@jmabs5096 Oh for sure! He's already got another head on the way, as well as a timing kit. I'm afraid this car will just end up the same way within the year though, knowing how the owner takes care of them...

[@jmabs5096]

@@evanherrera9735 yes your excatully right, owners of GM vehicles tend to just neglect them and they aren't engines that can take the abuse, it's just compounding problems! With things are, your probably best just to get it done, and sell it as the used market will fetch a pretty penny! I got rid of my wife's terrible jeep renegade 2.4 loaded that I bought for 32k with 27k miles 2018, sold it last year for 28.5k! If ya can spare without a car for a year or two, now is the time to trash your used car for profit you'll never see again!

[@M40A5]

Remember when Pippin knocked the helmet down the well shaft in the Mines of Moria? That's how I looked when you turned the head over and all those rockers fell out...

[@koleboyett8317]

These engines do get alot of hate from people understandably so but the terrain and equinox are the issue not necessarily the engine every other vehicle that engine was in was just about bullet proof especially the malibu, g6, and saturn aura I personally have a 2009 malibu with 240k miles and have seen them go well over 300k

[@RyanEmeryLovesCars]

I had a '14 Equinox with this. Sold it at '81K miles with no issues except for a little timing chain slack upon cold start when it sat for several days in cold weather. I kind of miss it. It was fun to run the piss out of it time to time and watching it shift at 7K rpm.

[@johnd5805]

My 2013 Equinox check engine light just came on. You would think after over 100 years,millions of engines, super computers and smart engineers they could build an engine that doesn't burn oil.

[@gunnargeroy8406]

Fuck that bro they should be able to build engines that fix themselves while you’re driving down the road 😂😒

[@anthonylautzenheiser3802]

Still waiting to see a chevy 2.8 V6. I had a 92 S-10 that spun the crank at 62k miles. Rebuilt it and spun the second crank at 128K. Rebuilt again and traded it in to a dealer.

[@brendans1156]

I love watching these and I look forward to them each Saturday. If you have a chance to do a W11 out of a first gen Mini Cooper S (R53) I’d love to see it.

[@RuneLar]

Is there any chance we can get a compilation of just you breaking bolts loose on like all of the last year's engines. Just a video of the most satisfying noise on KZbin over and over? Please and thank you.

[@mullinsjm1]

My wife had a 2012 equinox that we bought used. I cant remember if it was a 2.2l or 2.4l. Anyway the piston rings were defective from the factory, and it would just burn oil very quickly. We traded it in a few years ago when it hit 204,000 miles. We had to keep a jug of oil in the back at all times. Lol

[@EDMclassics]

Hey Eric, early subscriber since about 5k from down under and I always can't wait for your uploads every weekend. Would love to see you teardown a Volkswagen VR6 engine 😀

[@StreuB1]

This has become one of my favorite channels on YT. And I just found out about it a week ago!!

[@31dknight]

Another great teardown.

[@sparkplug1018]

Been in a bunch of these engines, never seen one chuck almost every rocker before, that's impressive. What I will say though is IF you maintain them, check the oil now and then, they're decently reliable engines. Thing worth noting is, if you do run it low on oil, and it's about to jump time you do get a warning. You will hear the chain slapping that bridge guide. If you stop at that point you're just doing a timing chain, an expensive lesson but not nearly as bad as ignoring it and replacing an engine.

[@jrcomet74]

The timing chain tensioners in general are junk in these motors. I owned a 2012 malibu with one. It leaked oil but I did my own maintenance so I did my best to stay on top of it but the chain ate away the guide and one day it jumped time. For something I thought was lifters (I learn as I go), you're right its an expensive lesson to learn

[@timh36]

Yes you definitely gotta check the oil and keep fresh oil in these engines. Nearly all of their problems stem from poor maintenance, they wont let you get away with running them low on oil.

[@rayshutsa6690]

Thank you for another great tear down. That was a lot of spare parts at the top of the motor. I guess if more prople checked there oil this would happen less.

[@y0riai.]

This is my favorite chanel. Thanks for the awesome videos mate

[@alouisschafer7212]

Have you ever had a 5 Cylinder from Volvo in your shop? Specifically the D5 is interesting since its a 5 Cylinder Diesel so an incedibly rare engine configuration thats worth a detailed look at. They are quite simple engines actually and known for a 500.000 Kilometer lifespan if properly taken care of.

[@corystansbury]

We never got the D5 in the USA. I don't believe they got them in Canada, either--but I could be mistaken.

[@alouisschafer7212]

@@corystansbury I believe there are some D5s up in Canada. Of course these things are absolute unicorns.

[@MrTdiddyduff]

Yea he has

[@MrTdiddyduff]

Volvo 4 life.....except the new stuff. F the new s***. I got a 08 S40 T5 with 48k , f***ing love that car.

[@kylepowell4906]

These are not so bad. Just keep oil in them and they run great. Especially later models

[@davehu8829]

Yes, early model need the GM recall to replace a bunch of parts, after that just change oil on time and top off as needed, timing chain will last about 300k.

[@kylepowell4906]

@@davehu8829 made a ton of hours off that special coverage

[@cassandradavis1198]

Your class is amazing. I gotta do my lifter and rockers tomorrow....

[@jp034]

I’ve found that getting to the timing on these ecotec engines is easy (ironically) . There’s a company that makes performance parts for the ecotec called zzp/zz that makes aftermarket guides and I believe tensioners for them. Figured this might be helpful to anybody scrolling through the comments here that has one and wants to do something preventative

[@stf2400]

Brand new sub, love your videos. I work for a major auto parts store and know first hand how bad some engines burn oil. One customer’s car holds 4.5 quarts of oil and was 3 quarts low. They asked me about the horrible noises it was making, and I was honest. I thought the engine was ruined, it sounded slightly better when we put in the oil, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it made it a week after that. If people need to learn anything, check your oil level every time you get gas.

[@dieseldiesel9292]

Don't you have to wait like 30 min for the oil to drain back into the pan? I never understood why people say this.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

​@@dieseldiesel9292 you'll be very close to seeing how much oil is in there after pumping your fuel. You could definitely tell it was missing 3 qts.

[@randyjimenez24]

Nissan VC-Turbo engine!! Still kind of new so it might be hard to get your hands on one. Came in 2019+ Altima and the Infiniti QX50 Crossover.

[@terencerucker3244]

That wonderful sound when you crack the head bolts and zip them out! What a great intro to a techno-pop song!

[@Mizzythecrazy]

That’s wild. I grew up in east Alton. Good to see someone near there on KZbin.

[@93sundance]

Having owned an Equinox new there isn't much you can do to prevent the high oil consumption. Changed it every 5k miles used the correct oil, and it would typically use about 1 quart in those 5k miles. After about 115k it began drinking it at 1 qt every 1k. It had a special coverage for piston replacement until 120k. The cat converter had was almost plugged with white ash, it got replace under warranty. I got two Saturn's with the L61 and they are good engines. Direct injection was a fail in these LEA's.

[@Darkhalo314]

Oof i've got a 2018 Equinox 😅

[@93sundance]

@@Darkhalo314 your fine, not the same engine in your 2018, they stopped using the 2.4 after 2016.

[@SportsMusicCars]

i have a 2008 saturn aura xr 3.6 burns oil at about 3.5-4 qts between changes now with 126k on it

[@Greassymonkey]

The reason they burn oil is because the pvc system in the intake gets clogged very easily, I clean mine every 60k miles. My engine has 150k miles

[@scrappy7571]

Another engine that helps my pay check. What a giant turd! Oil consumption, cam timing errors, cracked exhaust manifold, high pressure fuel pumps. But the biggest money maker, is the blown out rear main seal due to PCV system freezing solid in cold temperature.

[@harrylou90]

Yup, quoted at over $3000 to replace the rear main seal this winter when it happened to us!

[@Jakek200]

Yep between these, the 1.4L EcoTec and V8 lifters I think our jobs are secure.

[@scrappy7571]

@@Jakek200 Well, until the EV's hit the shop. That is going to be a game changer for sure. I'll be retired then. Good luck to the rest of ya.

[@deansapp4635]

Had a 2002 Grand Am with the 2.2 Bullet proof engine. 185000 miles and zero leaks

[@frasergavin418]

You do find some very interesting engines ,never two the same.great video keep up the good work.

[@mikegreen2229]

This channel is awesome. I’ve been a hardcore gearhead for over 22 years now and I still learn new things here. Most importantly, REAL world results from neglect. I no longer will follow a manufacturer oil change interval over 5,000 miles. I will also pay extra care to keep intake valves clean on a direct injection vehicle (I just bought my first one a week ago) Thanks for the videos bro!

[@dougrobinson8602]

I'd love to see a 3.6 FCA Pentastar, or the GM 3.8. The 3.8 is incredible.

[@d.j.9961]

My ecotec started getting a tapping noise at start up so, I replaced the 1 timing tensioner on the back of the block. That helped for maybe a month or 2 so, I replaced all the timing components & a new oil pump/front cover just to be safe! Still runs good!!!

[@Power-Ads]

Hello, I would like to see you do a 3400 GM V6 (2007-2009 vintage) engine, I have owned 3 different 2008-2009 Chevy Equinox's and have found them to be pretty reliable engines, its older push rod technology, but I think was one of GM's better engines! Love your videos!

[@gesitiwadengaming9873]

I think a GM 3.5 LX9 (pre DOD) would be a good teardown. They're known for intake plenum gasket leaks, great power for their size, and outstanding reliability if taken care of. Early 2000's Malibu, minivans, and a few pontiacs used them.

[@jacobyo99]

The 3.9 is great as well, (same family) besides oil leaks.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

Please do a Honda J-series V6 with direct injection. I’d love to see how Honda handles the excessive carbonization of the intake valves.

[@creekwalker8178]

I have the exact same veh/engine as in this video (2012 Terrain w/ the 2.4). Currently at 145K miles. Yes, it gobbles some oil around the last 1000 miles before oil change at 3000. They supposedly upgraded the rings in 2011/2012 but they still aren't good. Dump a little viscosity booster in and it will improve. 5oz of Seafoam in the oil the last 100-300 miles to get the sludge out before the oil change to keep that tensioner fed right. It's nothing special but if you take care of it then it should last a good while. I would not suggest buying one used unless you have ALL of the service history and you know for a fact it has never run low on oil.

[@l00k4tstuff]

I have a 2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP with the 2.0l Ecotec. It's direct injected. At about 30k miles it was running weird. That's when I discovered the original design of the timing chain tensioners was redesigned due to early failure. Luckily I caught it before the valve timing slipped. The GM kits are two flavors: new chain, tensioner, guides, and bolts (because they're different due to the redesign); or the previous plus all the gears. It's also needed a new water pump and high pressure fuel pump (started spewing fuel). That's a lot of repairs for an under 40k miles vehicle. I've gone another 25k miles since the repairs with no problems. But she's not my daily driver and I watch the fluids and do regular maintenance with high-grade fluids & filter. I've got a cold air kit and a 3rd party tune, engine is super smooth with power to redline. I do get on it, and I suspect I'll get many years of joy now that the major repairs are out of the way.

[@jfan4reva]

Was wondering how low oil could cause the engine timing to skip. "There's an oil pressure fed timing chain tensioner." Oh. Well, at least the carnage was confined to the top end. Thanks for another 'Saturday night special'. Always nice to realize it's Saturday, time for another engine tear down! Have to go check my oil now....

[@dennissheridan1550]

Kinda looks like that engine was over rev'd and purposely destroyed. PS I retract my previous comment after your explanation of low oil pressure and the tensioner causing it to jump time. 👍

[@Friend_of_the_One-Eyed_Ladies]

If it was over-revved usually the rod bearings take it in the teeth. Although if somebody was holding the car on rev limiter, that can cause jerking back and forth on the OHC chains which can take the valve train apart, probably even cause the chain to skip on the gears.

[@ouchfoss]

Not sure if you already did one but a 7.3 power stroke would be cool to see torn down. I have 430k on my 2000 Ford and it's still going strong although it does burn a little oil. Legendary!

[@donaldhoot7741]

I love the crack of head bolts in the evening! Great vid!

[@802Garage]

10:48 Wow I am surprised by the semi-closed deck and the rather thick cylinder walls. I bet properly built this block could handle a bucket of boost. At least they actually tried on that part of the design.

[@theatomproject007]

Except there are some castings of this 3rd generation ECOTEC block that are prone to porosity in and tend to exchange fluids through the casting under boost. Some people like to attribute it to the "lost foam" casting process, but it's more likely due to GM getting over zealous with their weight savings and pushing the limits of the casting technology. This is the most desirable ECOTEC block to start with, but only when trying to push past 500HP+ does it even come into the equation of needing to be considered.

[@aaron7671]

Look up "ZZ performance" on youtube. they build ecotech motors to lay down crazy times at the track. they also are known for being a performance parts supplier for the supercharged 3800s.

[@1SirCarlton]

How about a 2.7 ecoboost out of a 2021+ bronco? Ive heard theyve been getting replaced

[@zigz0072]

Love watching your videos. Thanks 👍

[@brianpatten]

Another great video, Eric! TIL that my brother's old Cobalt probably was on its last legs in a similar manner when he offloaded it. I'm curious to see a VR6 torn down, or maybe someday a W12. The latter is probably a frickin unicorn, I imagine. Anywho thanks for the infotainment!

[@landonthompson5604]

I found out that a vast amount of these engines have a TSB explaining that the engine can easily use 2 quarts of oil per 1K to 2k, my daughter has a 17 Equinox and I am all over her husband about checking the oil due to the timing chain issues.