Broken crank pulley leads to timing cover removal

Good for you Mr. Riviera! I don't know what your tech skills were before this problem occured, but I am impressed? To not only tackle this job, but to solve it? Man it must feel good, especially avoiding handing your beauty over to a shop that would most definately scratch it! One question, from the pics it looks like the timing chain on our cars is metal and not rubber, is that correct?

yes that is true. we have a timing chain, not a belt.

i'm no master mechanic, but i did stay at a Holiday in Express.


...sorry had to

but seriously, i have done timing belts on some imports before this, but their setup is much easier to access. this is defiantly the most in depth thing i've done on a car.

i can honestly say i have never had to take my car to a shop to have a problem worked on, or even diagnosed.
(save for things i cant do at home like alignments and tire mount/balance)
i'm pretty proud of that.

anyways, thanks for everyone's help on here. this forum can be a real life saver. (and wallet saver)

I'm really late to this one..

Well done man. I've learned a couple things through pain as well. Wish I had seen your thread in the beginning to help you diagnose.

Cam sensor being bad gives you a 1 in 6 chance of starting. From experience ...it usually remembers the last cylinder to fire.

Crank sensor will cause total dead car because it tells the ICM when to fire the plug.

Drank key.. it's a PITA on an engine stand when it's not beaten and boogered by a bad balancer. Kudos man..you got it.

Skip the rockers..you know how to do a cam now.

thanks man. i still think rockers are for me, but at least cams dont scare me anymore

Two more screws and if the LIM was off, with the lifters out, then the cam would have jumped into your hands. That's how close you were.

As for the difference between the two. It's huge, but not for everyone.

Either way..give yourself a couple pats on the back for this repair and finding the balancer.

Does the cam really just come out that easily, or do you have to remove the wheel and some other stuff to make room?

I ask because other Riv owners have said it's a RPITA and would take the engine out next time.

We did the cam install while the engine was still in the car and had no problem. Thankfully Paul at PRJ is a guru with the 3800's. I should have some photos of the install process in my showroom thread.