# Timing chain

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** pontiac\
**Created:** [February 19, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750 "2010-02-19T15:53:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fkbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b4bc9f/32.png) [@fkbatman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fkbatman)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750/1 "2010-02-19T15:53:55Z")

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has anyone heard of interferance or not on the timing chain on a 4 cly grand am. i have complete engine shut down. no movement in valves when i look in the oil fill cap when i it turn over.

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**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750/2 "2010-02-19T17:19:10Z")

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It sounds like you have a broken timing chain. I don’t know if your engine is an interference engine because no on publishes a chart for timing chain engines. Most people replace the worn timing chain because of the horrible racket it is making before it breaks. You will have to remove the head to asses the damage.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750/3 "2010-02-19T17:28:44Z")

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I have never seen a Morse timing chain break…Usually, timing failure involves a plastic coated timing gear coming apart and the chain slips off or just slips over the badly worn sprockets…

Model year, mileage on the car?? OHV or OHC??

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chain/44750/4 "2010-02-19T18:03:36Z")

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Not sure about this specific engine…but I have seen chains slip on a interference engine and lock up an engine.