Is this a difficult job to do on your own? Does anyone know of a video or diagram that shows how to do this yourself?
its not a hard job but the whole front of the engaine has to come apart. are you good with repairing broken bolts? its a good time for a new water pump and belts and hoses and new fluids. it calls for almost five hours labor so keep that in mind
I’d suggest that you go to Autozone’s website. If you register an email address and plug in the van’s info they have access to basic online repair guides. They are very basic, but will give you some idea of what it all entails. Then judge for yourself whether you think you want to take it on. If you decide to, then I would go ahead and buy a full factory service manual before proceeding. You can find them online.
Keep an eye on how many tools are involved that you don’t already own and probably won’t be able to borrow, if needed. If you don’t do a lot of car work or plan to, sometimes the extra tools and materials costs can add up to something close to what it would cost to just pay someone.
The 4.3L timing chain is relatively simple to replace. Obtain a good shop manual and follow the instructions. The single most common problem with DIY timing chain replacements on small block Chevy V8s and the 4.3L which is based on it is an oil leak at the pan to timing cover gasket.
I would suggest that all threaded connections including the harmonic balancer bolt, be coated with a gasket sealer compound.
Just a DIY tip here. Make sure to pay close attention to the timing marks. When the timing chain is installed…rotate the engine by hand 2 complete revolutions. If the timing marks still line up then you are good to go.
What are the symptoms? A timing chain and/or guides that wear out generally fail due to lack of oil or regular oil changes.
One would hate to delve too deep into a 16 van with an engine that may be problematic all the way through.
A worn timing chain that slaps the timing cover making troubling noises and often causing a severe leak is very common on Chevrolet small blocks and 4.3L V6s that accumulate high mileage. With a new timing chain the engines often continue to run reliably for 100,000 additional miles.
I was just wondering if a chain had broken and whether or not the engine was an oil-burner or puking oil from just about every seam on it.
Even chains on well maintained engines can eventually develop slop
I might point out that the timing chain on this vintage engine does NOT use a tensioner, as far as I know
Just to add to missileman also be sure cylinder #1 is on TDC compression not exhaust.
If the timing marks on the gears are adjacent to each other the engine is at TDC for compression on #1 cylinder.
I’d recommend buying a repair manual for the car, reading through the procedure carefully, and deciding whether you have the proper tools and expertise to do the job. If you do, the manual will come in handy for future work anyway, so it’ll be a good investment.