Lane's SCA - Engine Disassembly (1)

This motor came out of my '94 SC2 shortly after it started making some terrible noise (hear it HERE) indicating a bearing problem. I probably could have rebuilt the motor then, but in the interest of reliability and getting the car back on the road as quickly as possible, I chose to put in a completely different motor and rebuild this one at a later date. This motor is 7 years old and has 92,000 miles on it. Oil changes were done religiously, and the oil level was checked quite regularly. I only regret that I tried some 'snake oils' when I first bought the car and the motor was new (we all need to learn somehow, I guess). Dura Lube, Slick 50, Restore, etc, will not come anywhere near my motor again.

This engine's disassembly was one of my long-term projects - I worked on it as time was available, and took as much time as was necessary to learn, measure clearances & tolerances, and determine what parts will be useable for a rebuild.

Click on any of the photos below for a larger version (requires a JavaScript enabled browser).

	Since I want to do most of my future engine work myself, I invested in a set of factory service manuals before I started taking things apart. I cannot believe that it took me this long to buy these manuals. The level of detail is amazing, and I doubt that most other brands of manuals (Haynes, Chilton, etc.) cover procedures in the same level of detail. They are certainly a worthwhile purchase if you'll be keeping your car for a while, and you can purchase them at your local Saturn retailer's parts desk (or pick them up for a good deal on eBay like I did) .
	If you ever need to transport an engine, Saturn has a part # for this box made specifically for that purpose which makes the job easy.
	An engine stand also makes the job much more enjoyable. You can pick up a 750 lb unit for around $40 from most auto parts stores. Here's a view of the intake side of the engine.
	Here's a view of the exhaust side.
	A view of the oil pan. Boy is that sucker dirty.
	A closer view of the oil pan. The crud in the bottom was non-metallic (the magnet had no effect on it).
	Some slivers of metal that were also found in the bottom of the oil pan (not a good sign), the largest being about 4 inches in length. It looks like these may have been shaved off the sides a spun bearing.
	After removing the oil pan, the baffle plate and pick-up tube are visible. With only 30 miles on fresh oil, the smell of this oil was one of the worst burning smells I've ever experienced.
	A view with the timing chain cover removed, with cam sprockets, timing chain, chain tensioner, and guides visible.
	The tensioner pushes against a guide, which takes up slack in the timing chain. Both the tensioner's extension and the length of the timing chain still measured within factory specs.
	A close-up is shown of the plastic part of a timing chain guide. Assuming that these come from the factory smooth, this one looks like there is significant wear. The other 2 guides looked about the same.