Vf sump removal

[PlenumBiscuit]

Do I gotta remove the balancer to remove the sump on a 2014 lfx engine?

I'd like to service the oil pump it's got a nasty 2 second rattle on cold starts

 

[hjtrbo]

Generally involves balancer, timing cover, timing chain, sump. What 'service' will you be doing to the oil pump? Regardless, once you throw in a new chain and tensioner etc you'll likely correct that death rattle sound.

 

[NJD-1992]

LFX oil pump's are not serviceable, if you think that is the issue it needs replacement

To get to the oil pump the timing cover has to come off (Hence the balancer) and your timing chains removed.

Best to do the chains with a genuine kit and genuine pump if youre going to the trouble. Factory manual says that you can remove pan on car, but youll need to remove the left engine mount, and loosen and move the steering rack out of the way.

Probably a way to do it on car without doing that, but it'll probably put up a fight

 

[Skylarking]

Don’t discount that the start up rattle is caused by the variable cam adjuster.

Best take off the rocker covers (easy & cheap) and see what crud is hiding around the cams if any. Then assess whether the variable cam adjuster is ok by using a spanner on the cam shaft itself (it shouldn’t turn). Then you can remove and check the variable cam solenoids are ok (not blocked up with oily crud)…

Cam adjuster issue shown below

If all is ok, then you can dive further into it diagnosing the noise…

If you’ve already diagnosed it to presumably a blocked oil pump pick up tube screen filter, how did you come to that conclusion?

 

[dassaur]

LFX oil pump's are not serviceable, if you think that is the issue it needs replacement

To get to the oil pump the timing cover has to come off (Hence the balancer) and your timing chains removed.

Best to do the chains with a genuine kit and genuine pump if youre going to the trouble. Factory manual says that you can remove pan on car, but youll need to remove the left engine mount, and loosen and move the steering rack out of the way.

Probably a way to do it on car without doing that, but it'll probably put up a fight

If the pan is similar to LS engines you don't need to remove rack, but undo both engine mounts and chock them after jacking engine up.

 

[NJD-1992]

If the pan is similar to LS engines you don't need to remove rack, but undo both engine mounts and chock them after jacking engine up.

Quite possible there is a way to not have to loosen the rack, only going by what the manual mentions (Which interestingly is only to move it to the side, not remove)

Don’t discount that the start up rattle is caused by the variable cam adjuster.

Best take off the rocker covers (easy & cheap) and see what crud is hiding around the cams if any. Then assess whether the variable cam adjuster is ok by using a spanner on the cam shaft itself (it shouldn’t turn). Then you can remove and check the variable cam solenoids are ok (not blocked up with oily crud)…

Skylarking makes a good call, in that removing the rocker covers which is pretty easy can give you a good indication of the engines condition

Also, if you do this, make sure you ONLY get the latest revision genuine rocker cover seals. Its alluded to in the video that they revised the driver side Rocker cover gasket to help prevent the PCV vent clogging, and there has actually been a further revision since.

The gasket used to have 3 vent holes in the back section, now there is only 1. No other non OEM gasket has updated to this that ive seen

 

[lmoengnr]

Don’t discount that the start up rattle is caused by the variable cam adjuster.

I replaced the intake cam phaser on an Astra Z18XER engine because it failed internally and sounded like a chaff cutter.
The CEL would light up after a couple of kms of driving and would reset after shutdown.

 

[PlenumBiscuit]

I took off the sump on a few alloytec ve motors when I was helping my mechanic mate, we had to take the balancers off but not the timing covers or the racks

We cleaned the oil pick ups a few times and changed the oring on gluggy oil motors....

I was hoping the lfx might be easier

My engine has clean oil and is stamped as a 2014 built motor

The nasty 3 second rattle when cold is super loud and quite alarming when U hear it