GM 1.6 LXV (Variable Camshaft Phasing) Timing Belt Replacement

[Salto_Jorge]

2009+ Aveo's (Sonic, Cruze, Astra, Swift ) have the LVX/LUW engine


Gates TCKWP338 Timing Belt Component Kit with Water Pump
Does not include new bolts for the idler or tensioner.





Replaced my water pump, next was to be the timing belt.

The Aveo has been taken apart for days trying to figure out how to remove the timing belt.
Text based instructions are one thing, a video is another thing.
When I was at the point of giving up, I found these videos based on looking at the camshafts.

Found two (non-English) videos for a cruze but that does not matter, the engine is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG55Rsv1bqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf4SXHtrCjo


Did not mess with my transmission like they do in the first video.

Had to design/make a tool to hold the camshafts.
Marked my old T-Belt just like the instructions for the older model engine.

Never found out what the tensioner pulley pin was for or how it worked.

Engine
timing belt idler tighten the NEW bolt to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
timing belt tensioner tighten the NEW bolt to 20 Nm (15 lb ft).
timing belt lower cover tighten the bolts to 6 Nm (53.1 lb in)
engine mount bracket (Front of engine) tighten the bolt to 65 Nm (47.9 lb ft)
timing belt upper cover tighten the bolts to 4 Nm (35.4 lb ft).

crankshaft pulley aligning crankshaft pulley with notches and tighten to 95 Nm plus 45 degrees plus 15 degrees (70 lb ft plus 45 degrees plus 15 degrees).

Engine mount to unibody
engine mount retaining nuts to 40 Nm (30 lb ft).
engine mount bracket retaining bolts to 55 Nm (41 lb ft).

Purchase new bolts for the idler and tensioner ONE time USE.
Most Timing belt kits do not come with them, dealer charged 5.31 each.
GM# 55570291 AC# 55570291 GR 0724


My pictures will follow when I am done

George

[drmagieed]

Best Luck.

[Salto_Jorge]

The new tensioner and idler have been installed.
The belt with the marks copied from the old one line up correctly on the Camshaft pulleys and Crankshaft.

Now for the issue, just do not have enough slack in the belt to pass over the tensioner even with it clocked all the way. I am thinking that I must cheat somewhat and turn the crank clockwise a small amount making the belt tighter on the idler if possible to create some slack at the tensioner. The videos all show the crank bolt inserted, maybe they turn it. The videos never show putting on the belt, it is just there.

[xintersecty]

Does those engines use the water pump to tension the timing belt? The earlier engine does. So check the position of the water pump.

[avguy]

They took the WP out of the timing belt loop in the second gen.

When I did my daughter's Honda Civic timing belt, that tensioner had pin mechanism which let it be 'unloaded', until after the tensioner and belt were installed. Then the holding pin gets pulled, which automatically loads the belt to the proper tension. Very nice, idiot-proof design.

Maybe the Aveo tensioner has something like that built in?

[Salto_Jorge]

I have not found one.

So far I have taken up watching foreign language videos and they all seem to skip this issue or never have it.
I think it is related to the tension having minor slack on the right side of the belt from the crank to the camshaft.

[avguy]

I just looked at a pic of a second gen tensioner. I see a metal tab sticking out of the cylinder. I suspect that serves as a 'stop' for the spring, and is used for unloading the unit in order to get the belt on. There is also an Allen/hex port on the other side, which may provide the way (by turning a 'key' that fits into that port) to unload/reposition the tensioner, in order to get the belt on. Just speculation, based on what I'm seeing in the pic.

[Salto_Jorge]

The metal spring steel tab sticking out fits into a retainer machined into the block. The rectangular casting that sticks out a bit around is not positioned to serve as a stop to hold things in place when the hex port is rotated clockwise (an angle of about 30 degrees) creating spring tension while rotating the eccentric to relieve tension on the belt.

A small hole does exist in outer cast housing of the the OEM part that never aligns with anything as the eccentric is rotated.

A cutout can be observed along the circumference of the inner spring housing that aligns with nothing. Experimenting with the OEM unit a #41 drill bit was used to drill hole into the outer casting so when the unit was rotated all the way a small pin is inserted to hold the position. This way the 'key' does not have to be used to keep the eccentric rotated to relieve tension. (Honda Civic style mentioned above)

With the tensioner now attached with the bolt, no matter how hard I pull on the belt, it does not slip over and onto it.

This makes one wonder if the belt is short or is there a lack of tension in the belt somewhere in the system going around the other pulleys reducing the overall belt slack just a slight amount. Just enought to drive me crazy !

I must say that the old belt did not easily slide off, but it did.

The ambient temperature of my shop is about 25 degrees, one can only assume that the temperature does not affect the flexibility of the timing belt.

[avguy]

...This makes one wonder if the belt is short ....

You can easily check that by simply placing one belt on top of the other. Timing belts should never change over time, so the new belt should be a perfect match to the old one. Assuming they are identical, I'm guessing there is a 'trick' that you haven't found yet to get that tensioner moved out of the way enough in order to let the belt slip on.

[Salto_Jorge]

The belts are exactly the same, checked them side to side plus they have the white marks I made on them which match up.

Have installed the "Bolt and Washer" camshaft locker (seen in foreign videos) in addition to the criss/cross one that I made.

It is time to force the old one glazed timing belt on as a test. maybe the glazing on the smooth surface helps (olive oil on the new one). In the videos the gents always have on rubber gloves not cloth ones like I wear.

I am collection lots of still shots on my camera.