Update from the machine shop: 4 bent valves, 2 intake 2 exhaust. Valve guides show signs of wear but not excessive. (107,000 miles on her, so I would expect some wear) Total quote for repair $553. Head gasket set $149 more. I'm in it up to my neck already, might as well get it finished. So after about $1500 +/- a few bucks, I should have another 100k miles or more to look forward to. I'll keep everyone posted, should have the head back on Thursday and put back together on Saturday.


Here is some info from AllData that might offer the information you need until I physically get the head back and measure the valves for ya.

Specifications - Cylinder Bore Specifications
Notes Cylinder Bore Diameter STD #1
Note: Red Marking 3.3075-3.3078 in
STD #2
Note: Blue Marking 3.3071-3.3074 in
Maximum 3.3090 in
Allowance for Honing 0.008 in
Out-of-Round 0.0039 in
Note: Maximum
Taper 0.0039 in
Note: Maximum
Piston To Cylinder Bore Clearance 0.0008-0.0015 in

Cylinder Head Valve Specifications:
Margin(Intake) STD 0.039 in
MIN 0.024 in
Margin(Exhaust) STD 0.047 in
MIN 0.028 in
Valve Head Radial Runout(MAX) 0.003 in
Head Angles For Refinishing Area Above Seat Contact Surface 15 deg
Area Below Seat Contact Surface(Exhaust Only) 60 deg
Face Contact Surface 45 deg
Seat Contact Surface 45 deg
Stem Outside Diameter Exhaust 0.2339-0.2344 in
Intake 0.2348-0.2354 in
Stem To Guide Clearance Exhaust Valve (STD) 0.0018-0.0028 in
Exhaust Valve (MAX) 0.0035 in
Intake Valve(STD) 0.0008-0.0018 in
Intake Valve(MAX) 0.0027 in

 

I sent an email to LA Sleeve with the pics of the block and what I wanted to do and I just got a reply.

"We haven't made a performance sleeve for the Suzuki yet but it looks possible. Looking at the picture you emailed, it seems to me like it would be simular to the Honda's we make sleeves for. We would make the flange bigger than the waterjacket. Usually 1.500" down on the flange. Then, the outer diameter would taper down below that. It would press on that area of the sleeve. Depending on what aluminum is left between each bore is what determines your press fit. The average press fit is .001 to .002. Let me know if you've any other questions."


So it comes down to how much material there is to play with.

 

RUNS LIKE IT'S BRAND NEW!!!!!

Took me about 8 hours from start to finish to get it done. Couldn't wait to turn the key, but I took my time and wanted to make sure I had everything right. I got to the point of starting, she started right up and then she wouldn't idle. So, I pulled the plugs, all good. I did a compression check, just to make sure, and it was all good. I checked all the vacuum lines, they were good. Checked the electrical connectors to the fuel injectors, AHH-HAA!! I found that one of the injectors wasn't seated correctly in the fuel rail. Took the fuel rail off, cleaned all the grommets and such, reseated the injectors, put it back on and VOILA!!! It runs like the day I bought it!!!

Thanks for all your help, everyone!!!

Tim K.
Shade Tree Mechanic Extroidinaire!!!!

 

Tensioners, sprockets, chains, head gasket, front main seal, CPS, plugs, coil packs and various other gaskets as well. LOL

Is there a certification for the 2.0L I can get??? haha

Goodnight and thanks for all the fish!!!!

Tim

 

1999 Tracker Timing Chain

I just had a similar problem happen at 107,000 miles on a 1999 Tracker with the 2.0 engine. I'm curious about:
1) Where did you find the replacement parts?
2) If you don't mind, what did they cost you?
3) Did you ever get the chain guide?

Will Hanson
willh@earthlink.net

 

Sorry to hear that you have that issue. When it was all said and done, the issue was actually due to oil leaking from the side of the timing chain cover.

1) I got all the parts I needed from a local parts store, I did have to go to the dealer to replace the gears and the guide tho. I mean a real parts store too, not autozone or pep boys.


Cam Sprockets - $50 each at Chevrolet dealer
Upper Guide - $22 at Chevrolet Dealer
Upper Tensioner - $111 at Chevrolet dealer
Lower Fixed Guide - $18 Parts City
Lower Adjustable Guide - $42 Parts City
Lower Tensioner - $44 Parts City
Upper Chain - $38 Parts City
Lower Chain - $46 Parts City



2) The parts themselves were relatively cheap in the grand scheme of things. The 2 gears were $50 each, the guide was $23 and the remaining parts were around $150 (Chains, guides, tensioners). I had to also have the head reworked due to 2 bent valves, that cost me $780 which included the gasket set as well. I was into this job for around $1100 myself, whereas a mechanic quoted me over $4000.





3) I did get the chain guide, it just had to be ordered through the dealership. If you look through the links, I beleive that I posted a link to a place that sells a complete kit for the 2.0 tracker motor. They were a bit cheaper through that site but I chose to go with more quality parts. 1.8 J18A 2.0 J20A DOHC Timing Chain Kit (GEO - Suzuki) Aerio, Esteem, Sidekick Sport, Tracker, Vitara

Hope this helps, feel free to contact me about any further questions as I had to undertake this twice now.

Tim Kashin
tjkashin@kashin.org

 

1999 Tracker Timing Chain, etc.

Thanks for the info, it'll really help.
I had the Tracker at the Chevy dealer and they wanted $900 for parts and $1200 for labor. They inspected and found the crank to cam timing chain broken and the guides damaged, as well as the sprocket gears. Also, during the inspection they somehow managed to perform a compression test and found all 4 cylinders had good compression, so looks like no bent valves in this one. Interestingly, the engine hasn't been using oil, but when the problem happened we checked the oil and found it to be 3 quarts low. That can't be good. Probably has the timing cover leak, but we check the oil frequently and hadn't known it to ever be that low.
Towing so far: $60 to the dealer, $80 back to my house.
Dealer inspection and compression test: $142.50
So I'm in to it $282.50. Found the following link
eBay Motors: 99-03 GEO TRACKER 2.0L DOHC 16V TIMING CHAIN KIT J20A (item 200218685171 end time May-23-08 10:02:50 PDT)
It includes:
1 Timing Chain (idler to cams)
1 Timing Chain (crankshaft to idler)
1 Tensioner upper (for camshaft chain)
1 Tensioner lower (for crank to idler chain)
1 Guide Rail upper (for cam chain)
1 Guide Rail curved (right side idler chain)
1 Guide Gail straight (left side - straight)

Looks like I'll need to get the sprocket gears from the Chevy dealer.
Have you found a good way, without dropping the oil pan to get any fragments out of the pan?

In the past on this Tracker, we've replaced the driver side outside door handle, as it cracked in a freak ice storm in Atlanta. We used a Vitara part and it fit perfectly. We replaced the radiator for $160 about 2 years ago. We also replaced the fuel filter near the gas tank and the Oxygen sensor. The serpentine belt tensioner was replaced last year. My son tried to open the front part of the top while on the highway and the wind caught it and some screws came out and a plastic bracket broke. I was able to get the parts, including the screws through the Chevy dealer, pretty unbelievable.
Other than that, normal maintenance is all we've done. We're going to fix this timing chain problem and replace the front brake rotors, as they've warped. This has been one of the most reliable vehicles we've ever had and was getting 22-25 mpg in combined city and highway driving. We use it as a spare vehicle and it has come in handy many times. We have some mountain property in Alabama, and besides our 2002 Chevy Avalanche 4X4, this is the only other vehicle we have that can make it up the rugged unpaved, rutted, rocky roads there. So, I'm inclined to fix it up and keep it. No good reason to get rid of it. It's very cheap to insure, too. I have the two volume service manuals, too. I'm thinking about replacing the entire soft top, as it's getting a bit worn and the plastic windows are foggy and the zipper rear window is starting to separate.

Will H.

 

Please welcome a newcomer to this forum.

I found this thread via Google Search because I'm about to replace the Timing Chains and Water Pump on my own 1999 Chevy Tracker 2.0. I really appreciate all the fine details and follow-up that has been provided in this thread.

Among the things that really help are those photos provided. Thanks a bunch! I've tried ordering a Repair Manual for this car and, at this point, I can't find one through the local parts stores.

I see one of the respondents is also acquainted with the Atlanta, GA area. I'm living in the NW area in Marietta.

First, the car now has 138,000 miles on it. I bought it last summer and have really, really enjoyed driving this car! It's incredibly clean. Some guys I work with couldn't believe it wasn't a new car. The engine is clean as a whistle as well as the inside/outside of the vehicle body.

Now to get down to the nitty gritty on this issues I'm having.

1. Since last August (2007) I've been dealing with a Cam Position Sensor that would foul out when it got too hot. I've had to raise the hood between short trips to allow the heat to escape. In situations where I needed a fast cool down, I could pour some water over it and be off and running immediately. Since we've had a fairly cool winter, this wasn't as much of an issue as it's become since the weather is now warming up. So, on Friday, May 16th, I replaced this sensor with a new one. From Friday to Monday, the car ran like a champ. No raising the hood/pouring water over it. It just did splendidly!

2. But, toward the evening of Monday, the engine started misfiring. At first, it just didn't want to accelerate from a stop very well. I thought that maybe the Cam Sensor wasn't adjusted properly, so, I slightly adjusted the Cam Sensor and, for the next couple of hours, it would take off like a jack rabbit. Ran like a new car!

3. Then, without warning, it started misfiring again. The Service Engine light came on and I was able to get it up to AutoZone where they did a Fault Code check and got the code that indicates that Cylinder #1 was misfiring. Among the causes was sparkplugs.

So, taking the cheapest way out, I bought all new plugs and put them in. Once done, the car started right up again and ran as smooth as could be. I drove it for a 30-mile round trip and had no problems along the way. The Service Engine light even went off.

Now, we come to Tuesday. At the very first the car ran just fine. But, as it warmed up, the misfiring returned. Another trip to AutoZone and, with the Service Engine light on again, the same Fault Code came up.

I got the car home and left it alone overnight. On Wednesday afternoon, I rechecked the sparkplugs and the ignition coils, and everything seemed to be fine. I started it right up and it ran smooth until it warmed up to operating temperature again. At that point, the misfiring returned.

Now, knowing that the old Cam Sensor worked just fine as long as the sensor wasn't too hot, I put it back in and that didn't make any difference re: the misfiring.

So, we now come to my question as to what could be the problem.

First of all, I've read on another forum that these engines do require the replacement of the timing chains and related parts at around the 110,000 mile point. I've certainly exceeded that. So, with that in mind, I've gone ahead and ordered the parts to replace the chains, water pump, etc as needed.

BUT, does this situation actually sound like a timing chain problem? (Whether it does or not, I'll go ahead with this as it definitely would be beneficial to do it regardless.)

With the experiences of the people on this forum, maybe there's something else I should consider as well. I'm quite mechanically capable and do anything on the cars I can do myself and have for many years. I'm just not familiar with this particular car and specific symptoms to look for.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope I've been thorough enough but not too wordy.

I'll be glad to provide some photos, too.

 

Sounds like a spark plug coil pack is breaking down. Not uncommon. The fault code will ID which cylinder for you. They ain't cheap though. $100 ish.

And welcome aboard!

 

Yes, that was another item that showed up on the list. $85 plus tax here. Ouch!

Thanks for the reply. I'll keep you all posted on the outcome.

 

OK, I'm in need of some assurance here.

I was able to locate a Hayne's Manual for this car late Sunday afternoon. Since then, I've disassembled the items as per the manual...and then some.

I say, 'and then some' because, once I got to the crankshaft pulley bolt, I ran into a problem. At that point, I removed the radiator from the car hoping that my air drive impact wrench would work to get this bolt loose. But, there still wasn't enough room and, since my car has A/C, the A/C cooling coil is still in the way.

At this point, I made a trip up to the tool store and picked up a chained pipe wrench. Using the photo from the manual, I've placed the pipe wrench onto the pulley and I have my own 1/2 inch drive torque bar with a high impact 19mm socket on the head of the bolt. BUT, that bolt STILL won't budge!

So, before I go any further...and possibly break the head off that bolt, can someone please tell me for sure if this bolt is Right or Left Threaded? Per my previous experience, often enough, a crankshaft bolt will loosen in the same direction that the engine turns. If that holds true here, then this bolt should be Left Threaded. BUT, that's not what this manual's image indicates.

I realize that today is Memorial Day here in the USA, and, would like to say a big "THANK YOU" to all our Veterans of the USA Military! Your service is and has been greatly appreciated!

So, knowing that many of you have better things to do today than sit at a computer and lend some advice to a forum member, I'll be very patiently awaiting any response at all.

(BTW, I did a search for 'crankshaft bolt' and nothing came up that indicated an answer to my inquiry.)

Cheers!

PS. I'm including a thumbnail view of what I've got connected. Just click the thumbnail for a larger view.

 

I had a quick glance at the official Suzuki J20 manual, but no mention of lefthand thread - just 108.5 ft.lbs. Sorry no more info.

Thrall

 

Thanks for the reply.

I've been out looking for an adequate impact tool that has a 1/2 inch drive and will pull the torque needed to get this bolt loose. There is only a 7-inch clearance between the head of that bolt and the A/C condenser coil. I really have no intention of pulling out the cooling coil for this. So, if an impact wrench can hit above that 108.5 ft. lbs., it should do the job, right?

Talk about exasperation....the car has now been sitting there for two days due to not being able to get this bolt loose.

 

I'm 90% sure it's a right hand bolt as well LT. But I'm tellin' ya'...they are a real PITA to remove. An impact gun has been the ONLY way I could get out some of them. I even had to go out and get a 3/4" drive impact to get the pulley bolt out of a Honda I worked on. Also a cheapo 1/2" drive may not handle the action here. A Snap-On (or like) new / quality 1/2" should do it though.

To get the needed clearance...can you un-bolt / move the A/C condenser (keeping the freon lines intact / sealed up) and gain the extra clearance for an impact gun?

 

This is my first post to the group too. But my job is complete thanks to the previous posts on this thread. My timing chain guide broke and took the chain and sprockets with it when I was 280 miles from home (and at highway speeds). Ordered new chain/ sprocket/ tensioner kit from partsdinosaur.com as mentioned earlier in this thread. (Good service- I recommend)

Had 0 psi compression on 3 of 4 cylinders. Pulled the head and found 14 of 16 valves bent. Local machine shop repaired the head, then I reassembled everything. Car runs good now. Total cost was around $700 and a LOT of labor. But it was still cheaper than buying a new car and the feeling of satisfaction when it first fired up is beyond words!
Prior to tackling this job I looked (unsuccessfully) for a replacement engine.

For L. Turner in Georgia, I can say with 100% certainty that the main crankshaft bolt is right handed. I too struggled with getting mine loosened. 1/2" Impact with an angle drive was ineffective (I did not remove my A/C condenser either). I ended up wrapping a ratcheting tie-down strap around the outside diameter of the pulley very tight to prevent turning. When it still turned, I put a BIG C-clamp over the OD of the strap and pulley, and put the car in gear. Only then was I able to manually break it free. Had that not worked, I'm not sure what I would've done. The best part came immediately after that when I was able to remove the pulley from the shaft with hand pressure; no puller required!

Helpful note: be sure to put a rag over the small opening of the oil pan once you've removed the timing chain cover because the woodruff key that indexes the bottom sprocket will fall out and go right down in the pan (happened to me twice until I wised up!) I had to fish around for it for some time with a magnetic probe before finally getting it.

My thanks to all who helped contribute on this thread! I'm sure I could do the same job in 1/2 the time now, but I'd much rather work on my hovercraft!
T. Chapman in SW Michigan

 

Thanks again for the replies. They are very helpful.

Knowing for sure that the bolt in question is a regular right hand threaded bolt should help.

Max: As far as making more clearance, I've looked into that option and haven't been able to come up with anything yet. I've also tried locating some shorter profile impact wrenches. So far, nothing in that department, either.

As it stands, it'll likely be the weekend before I can get back to work on this in earnest.

hoverbucks: Appreciate the heads up on the rag to keep the key from disappearing into the oil pan.

 

Here's one for you guys:
Before I performed the big repair job on the timing chain, the A/C worked fine. Afterward it does not work. The freon charge is maintained, but the 25 amp fuse under the hood for the A/C is blown and new ones also blow. Obvious short somewhere. Any suggestions?
Thanks-
TC

 

Perform a hand over hand A/C wiring inspection looking for a bare or frayed wire proly pinched during the engine work. You'll get it. Look closely at those terminal connectors too, like compressor clutch, fan, sensors, etc.

 

OK. Mission accomplished on the Crankshaft Bolt. What I ended up doing is taking an old leather belt I no longer use, cutting it to fit around the pulley and keeping it in place with a large rubberband like they use on the Sunday paper here. Then, I placed the chain wrench over that. Using the 1/2 inch drive breaker bar, I then placed a 30" galvanized pipe over that and...success!



Now for the next question:

I've removed all the bolts from the timing chain cover and have actually been able to loosen the cover about half-way down each side. But, at that point, something is really sticking hard. According to the manual, there are some guide pins and I'm wondering just how much resistance those are creating to getting the rest of the cover loose? I've also removed the bolts from beneath at the oil pan. So, I'm confident that all the bolts are removed.

I'm ready to proceed with this if I can get this cover off without cracking it. I've placed some 'spacers' at the top to help keep a little tension on the cover while I work my way down. Any ideas on this?

It's beginning to look like I'll have to put off further work until tomorrow. We've got some thundershowers making their way here and I'm having to work on this in the great outdoors under a shade tree. So, literally, I'm a shade tree mechanic on this one. LOL!

 

Hi, a glance at the workshop manual shows only two dowels: on the left, a third of the way up between the second and third bolts up, and on the right, about a third of the way down, between the fifth and sixth bolts up. No other obvious clues ie. quote" Remove timimg chain cover"!
Good luck,

Thrall

 

Thanks! I really do appreciate the replies and encouragement from this forum.

On another note, I'm going to go ahead and replace the oil seal in the cover...if I can ever get it off! But, it looks like it's going to be at least 3 days before I can get one! Several of the parts store show that it is out of stock and only O'Reilly's can get one at this point. But, it won't come in for 3 days from the time of ordering it.

Why, oh, why is it so hard to get parts? I've run into this quite often when going to get parts for the Tracker.

 

When I removed my cover for the first time, (or tried) I forgot the hidden nut in the middle of the cover that is recessed and directly under the idler. Once that was removed, the cover popped right off.

 

All right! That is the last piece of the puzzle on this situation. Thanks a bunch for your reply!

EDIT and UPDATE:

Since this forum has been so very helpful, now that the cover is off, I'm posting some images for you to review. Does anything stand out as needing attention? I have NOT replaced the timing chains yet. These are taken immediately after removing the cover and no further work has been done. I won't be able to get the job completed until at least when the oil seal arrives later this week.

 

Can anyone verify whether the timing cover seal is the same between the Tracker and the Vitari? This would be for the same year model and same size engine between the two vehicles. I've got a supplier who can provide the seal under the Suzuki brand, but not the Tracker. The part numbers come up different and he said he cannot get the part for the Tracker but can have the Suzuki part later this a.m.

I'll take the existing seal up to him to see if they match. We're hoping they do.

EDIT/UPDATE: I can now verify that the seal is one and the same.

 

Yep! I tried to confirm that they were the same this A.M. from work (dial-up) but it was just too hard.
1999 SUZUKI VITARA Timing Cover Seal

1999 CHEVROLET TRACKER Timing Cover Seal

 

Good news!

Got the car back together with a lot less problem that what it took to take things apart. LOL! I even had to make a trip up to my son's place (30 miles away) to pick up my impact wrench as he was using it. I needed it to get the camshaft bolts loose.

Just got back from taking the Tracker out for a spin and to the carwash. Seems to be running just fine with a little caveat. It seems to be a little 'sluggish' taking off from a stop. This was something I read in Consumer Reports about this car that was one of the "cons" they listed.

Previously, I was able to adjust the cam sensor to make it do better. So, would one of you experienced users have a suggestion as to the best way to get this right? So far, I've adjusted it from where there's about a 1/8inch clearance of the adjustment slot to the anchor mount, to where there's now about a 5/16inch clearance. Other than this little annoyance, things seem to be fine.

Thanks for all the help and support here. Excellent place to share experiences and help!

L. Turner

 

Hey guys, another new-b here. I am new to forums; took me a while to figure out how to post.
I have a 2000, 2.0L 4x4 Tracker with 122K miles, I "acquired" from my wife when it started acting up on her. Pretty much the same thing as L. Turner's situation.
It would not start after being shut off maybe three times in 6 months when she had it; after I got it, more frequently. Then, it started acting up and even dying while running/driving. I figured it was the cam position sensor, even did the water trick a few times to get me home. Got a new cam position sensor from Autozone; it helped a little.
One day driving to the shooting range it started to hesitate at 45-55 mph. If I gave it more throttle, it would hesitate but then recover. After 10-15 minutes of this, when I gave it more throttle it would make a loud kind of sneezing "PFFFT" sound from the engine that increased with RPM. I thought head gasket, but have gotten the car to do it sitting still and the engine shakes or shutters when this happens, w/ no head gasket leaks. Now I think it may be a 2.0L version of a backfire through the intake...Timing?
I have tried adjusting the new cam sensor; no luck. Even put the old one in since it only acted up when hot; no luck either. Tried adjust it, still nothing. Now, the Tracker it has little to no power on takeoff. If i give moderate throttle, it makes the "PFFFT" sound and it has acquired a metalic sound that kind of sounds like dieseling from under the hood. This weekend, I went through all the electrical components that feed info. to the computer, all check fine. I don't have a code reader and am afraid that if I take it to one of the part stores, it may end up costing me a head and some valves. The Timing chain has never been replaced (122K miles), so I know its due. I think I'm pointed in the right direction, but need that final bit of encouragement. I'm a good mechanic, just not a lot of experience with autos.

Guys any help would be appreciated, this thread has already helped me tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to document all of this.

L. Turner, did changing out your timing chain etc. fix your issue?

Thanks. N

 

With the J20A there can be an issue with the coil packs failing or insulation breaking down on the part around the spark plug. You could try wrapping some insulating tape around there and see if that helps. The coil packs are the same as used on the J18A, J23A in the Aerio and the 2.5 and 2.7 V6 in the GV & Xl-7. Also check the MAF/MAP sensor as they can get dirty and cause problems. The O2 sensors should be replaced if you have done 60-70,000 miles as they deteriorate over time but won't throw a code until they really fail.

Just some thoughts, hope they help.