Should i trust a GM dealer to fix my LQ1's timing?

[Z34-5speed]

Alright, i am pretty sure that my timing if fucked on my car. Most of you know that my car is crazy slow (16.2@85), and i have pretty much had everything but the timing fixed/checked. Should i trust the Local Chevy dealer to put the timing back to stock, and put a new belt on? I would love to change it to +6,-6 but i dont want to confuse them. I don't trust the local mechanic who does the minor work on my car to do the timing. Does any1 know a roundhouse figure on what they might charge. I plan on going there tuesday and seeing what they will charge. Thanks alot.

 

Kyle

[97loudcut]

Matt (pshyco} paid like 475 dollars lol

[Z34-5speed]

Huh, i was expecting more like $700. But should i trust them to do a decent job?

 

Kyle

[supreme_style21]

Huh, i was expecting more like $700. But should i trust them to do a decent job?

 

Kyle

Depends on who they are. There are morons that work at dealerships and there are some highly skilled individuals that work there, its up to you to know who works at your local dealership. I can tell you I'd never take it to the GM dealership in my hometown, but I'd most certainly trust a guy at the dealership in the town where I first went to college. Just depends on who works there.

[White93z34]

i'd trust them, but i'd want to talk to whoever is doing the work myself.

[Psych0matt]

I took it to the local Meineke. but I know the manager there pretty well, and he's usually the one to do any in depth work on my car, not the other monkeys that work there. He brought his personal timing tools in and did it himself, so I knew i could trust him. But yeah, ended up costing me almost 500$, but it's done and I have a new timing belt (again)

[RJansen658]

Well, I personally would trust them, but I am a mechanic myself. Talk to the guy that will be doing the work, and ask him what he has to do, ie how he is going to approach the job. If he immediatley answers with a response thats either too technical for you, or seems logical based on your car knowledge, then he probably knows what hes doing. I would not have the dealer change the timing +6/-6. All of thier service manuals, TSB's and other tools will probably only give them directions for stock base timing. You would be relying on a service mechanic for a performance mechanics job. Not all mechanics are gear heads.

 

Somewhere very recently, I saw adjustable cam sprockets for the LQ1. They could be adjusted without having to dissasemble everything, right under the hood. I don't remember exact price but I believe they were upwards of $200. You said you were expecting $700.... upgrade!

 

And in the end, it doesn't really matter how much you trust the mechanic.... if its a dealership...... and they mess up a timing job........ its probably going to destroy the motor, Aren't LQ1's interference engines? And if the dealership destroys your engine they will just order a new engine. They aren't going to ruin your engine and then not replace it.

 

Actually I would hope they do wreck it lol.

 

Anyways that my 2 cents.

[1990lumina]

Well, I personally would trust them, but I am a mechanic myself. Talk to the guy that will be doing the work, and ask him what he has to do, ie how he is going to approach the job. If he immediatley answers with a response thats either too technical for you, or seems logical based on your car knowledge, then he probably knows what hes doing. I would not have the dealer change the timing +6/-6. All of thier service manuals, TSB's and other tools will probably only give them directions for stock base timing. You would be relying on a service mechanic for a performance mechanics job. Not all mechanics are gear heads.

 

Somewhere very recently, I saw adjustable cam sprockets for the LQ1. They could be adjusted without having to dissasemble everything, right under the hood. I don't remember exact price but I believe they were upwards of $200. You said you were expecting $700.... upgrade!

 

And in the end, it doesn't really matter how much you trust the mechanic.... if its a dealership...... and they mess up a timing job........ its probably going to destroy the motor, Aren't LQ1's interference engines? And if the dealership destroys your engine they will just order a new engine. They aren't going to ruin your engine and then not replace it.

 

Actually I would hope they do wreck it lol.

 

Anyways that my 2 cents.

 

my thoughts exactly...if they fuck it up they will have to replace/repair the damage. My friend's dad's Stealth had the timing belt replaced last year, after it was done the belt jumped 6 marks or something and totally fucked the motor...brand new bullet in his car now all free

[Z34-5speed]

Ok then. Tuesday when i get back from pensacola NAS, that's where i'm at now, i take it to the local Chevy dealer and have them do it. They did replace my lower intake gaskets and my idle air valve on my 93 Z, they did a great job. I didn't even think about what yall said about if they fuck the motor up. Thanks alot for the info.

 

Kyle

[Psych0matt]

LQ1 = non interference. I haev experience on both the 94 and 96, and ive been fine. 94 broke the belt on the freeway doing at least 70, new belt, no problem. this 96 i have now was timed right when i first put it together (so i thought) and timed slightly differently like 5 different times in the last 2 months, and i drove it every day, no harm. But, it was also close. either way, i dont think them timing it wrong will do anything but take more time out of your car experience. also, the reason I couldn't get it timed myself was because somehow in the swap, when i changed crank gears (94 to 96 had different style teeth) i somehow got the crank lined up wrong.

 

/rambling

[SigEpCutlass]

i'd trust them, but i'd want to talk to whoever is doing the work myself.

 

That's how I can figure out if I can trust them. I give them something simple to do first, and then when I go back again, I have them call me before they start working on my car to tell me what I want to know.

[White93z34]

i'd trust them, but i'd want to talk to whoever is doing the work myself.

 

That's how I can figure out if I can trust them. I give them something simple to do first, and then when I go back again, I have them call me before they start working on my car to tell me what I want to know.

 

for sure, its generally prety easy to spot a retard a mile away when it comes to cars, i don't like slick talking people or someone who has nothign good to say about the engine, i like someone whos confident, and has a prety good grasp on what he is doing.

[Psych0matt]

i like someone whos confident, and has a prety good grasp on what he is doing.

 

Definitely the main reason I keep returning to my guy. His comment about my engine "No one within probably 50 miles likes to work on these engines, but they don't scare me at all" or at least something to that extent. Yeah, I trust him, and he's proven it