Pontiac Sunbird

Removal:

Remove the engine coolant jug from side ( 3-4 screws ). Get it out of the way. Leave the hose connected. Remove the vacuum hose on top of the camcover ( 1 bolt ) and leave it there.Disconnect battery -ve terminal.Remove accesory drive belt by pushing down on the belt tensioner.Remove the alternator ( 2 electrical connections and 3 bolts and 1 nut ) Get it out of the way. Remove the steering pump, leave the hoses connected ( 2 attach points ; nut on the intake side of head and 2 nuts on the engine mounting bracket. Get it out of way.

Jack up the car and remove front passenger wheel. Remove the splash guard so that you have access to the crankshaft pulley.

Standup again.

Remove 5 - 6 bolts on the timing belt cover plus a nut in the middle of the cover. Remove the cover.

Loosen 3 bolts on the water pump ( 1 bolt accesible and 2 thru holes on the back cover).

There is a little tab on the water pump to push it down. This will remove the tension from the timing belt. Remove timing belt.

Suggestion :

Change the water pump too if req'd now otherwise you have to do this all over again.Remove the top sprocket sprocket.Crankshaft pulley can be removed by removing the accesory pulley ( 4 bolts ) and then take the bottom cover of the tranny ( 3 - 4 bolts ). Jam a screwdriver between the teeth of the big gear to hold it from spinning and remove the crankshaft pulley ( small one on the bottom )Remove the idler in the middle.Remove the 2 bolts and remove the back cover.

Now you can remove the water pump and replace it too.

If not replacing the water pump it is good to replace the rubber o-ring on it.It's 20 cents and saves a lot of troublelater with leaks.

Installation :

Install water pump and leave it loose.Install back cover.

Install Idler pulley. Look at the little spring tab hole and the hole on the bracket because this is the hole to line up for tensioning the timing belt.

Install top sprocket. The alignment mark should be up and in line with the notch on the back cover on top.Insatll the bottom small pulley with the alignment mark at bottom lined with backcover at bottom.Torque - 115 FT-LBS.Install timing belt. And tension it by moving the tab on the water pump clockwise ( UP ) until the hole on the idler spring tab lines with hole on the pulley bracket.

Tighten the water pump bolts.

Insatll the frontcover, Steering pump, alternator, Vacuum hose and battery -ve .

Install the accesory pulley and belt.

Install splash cover ant wheel.

Adjust timing by loosening the distributor as req'd.

It has been some times since I work on a model close to this. I think you have to remove the steering wheel possibly with a wheel puller. The switch will then be exposed. You disconnect the turn signal switch wiring farther down the steering column by removing a panel. If you look at a new switch, that might help. Larry

You might want to go and look at some books at a Public Library.

get a book at your local autoparts store!... this will be helpful for much more than changing a timing belt... there are many intricate steps and alignments that MUST be exactly followed to allow your car to run without MAJOR damage after the belt has been changed... and will require special tools including air impact, etc THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR A BEGINNER!!!

I dont agree that you need an impact at all it is very simple as you approach most of it through the wheel well. You can even leave the tire on just turn it to the left. Once yo have the alternator out just take off covering in wheel well you will see everything clearer then. Hardest trick is alternator in whole job. You should put in new water pump while your there.

If you have an after-market head unit, it will be easier. You need RCA audio cables, speaker wire and some pretty thick wire for you power connection. First, you should take out the stereo and plug in your RCA cables (red to red and white to white)and then plug those into your amp as well. Then you need to find the wire marked Acc. on the wires in the back of your stereo. connect a pretty long wire to this wire. This will be plugged into your remote on your amp. The next thing you need to do is plug your thick cable into your positive side of your car battery and plug the other side into your power on your amp. The last thing you need to do for your amp is put a wire from the ground on your amp to a screw in your car that is unpainted and connected to the chassis. If everything else is hooked up correctly, you might need to play with the ground wire as this is usually the problem area. Then plug speakers into the appropriate places on the amp and box (Pos. to pos. and neg. to neg.) Make sure the amp turns off when your car does or you could drain your battery.

below the steering column on the left almost to the floor

There're two in a 1994 Pontiac sunbird. The one explained above is the HAZARD flasher; the other flasher, for your signal lights, is on the right side of your steering wheel column, higher up, if it hasn't been changed before, then it could be jammed up there. It's hiding pretty good, but I promise you...look hard, it's there. If it hasn't been changed before, it should have two blue lines across it.

Camsaft Carrier cover bolts should be torqued to 72 Inch Pounds. That is for both the OHC and OHV engine. I looked this up in the manual to double check.

You can get a heater that magnetically sticks to the pan and warms the engine. You can get a heater that connects to the heater hose and circulates warm engine coolant. You can also get a block heater that replaces a freeze plug. You have to decide which works best for you.

Defective Coil pack, defective spark wires, plugs.

Bad ground(s).

Open (electrical short) in starting system.

Faulty Ignition switch, ECM, other.

Remove hydraulic fluid line from slave cylinder (you may need to use a flared end wrench).

Make sure master cylinder does not go dry!!!

Unbolt slave cyliner from tranny, bolt new part on.

Install hydraulic fluid line.

DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN.

Properly bleed system.

Now your finished!

You need to buy a washer kit. GM changed the design but can be they can be retrofitted easily. You can buy them from GM or from the website link.

White smoke in the exhaust, more so on a cold start. That's steam. Water is getting into the combustion chamber. Most likely coolant. Put your hand in the white smoke to capture the odor. (don't burn yourself) What does your hand smell like? Coolant (anti-freeze & water) smells sweet. Likeliest cause = head gasket. Possible = cracked head - depending on how hot it got. Less likely = cracked intake manifold. you have a gasket problem and need to have it looked at immediately

Sorry, but I'm looking for my rattle as well. I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. Someone told me it was the struts. Well, new struts, same rattle. My rattle is right in the passenger side rear seat area. Any bump, no matter how small and I hear it. Had the seats out. All I can say is it's louder with the rear seats folded down. I've checked everything obvious.

Free if you do it yourself, guides on the internet will help you out if you take it to a shop you can end up spending probably around 50 dollars Canadian although some places charge a minimum 1 hour labor charge which would be around 100 dollars.

YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER SOLENIOD. THE PART IS UNDER 50 DOLLARS AND ITS LOCATED RIGHT BEHIND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE ITS A SMALL RECTANGULAR COVER THAT IS MOUNTED SIDEWAYS . THE A.C. LINES MIGHT BE IN THE WAY ,YOU CAN SLIGHTLY PULL THEM BACK TO PULL THE COVER OUT ,THAT IS SECURED BY SEVERAL SCREWS AND IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE TOY MOTOR THAT YOU FIND ON TOY CARS ,THE ONE THAT HAD TWO WIRES CONECTED TO A SMALL MOTOR. IT LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO BUT ITS A PIECE OF CAKE

The firing order for a 2.0 L. is 1423.

It dep[ends on exctly which engine you have as to how difficult it is, Get a manual you your car and do the job correctly .

Mine is located one the lower left side of the instrument panel. Right about where your left knee would be if you were sitting in the driver's seat. It is supposed to have a door on it with a handle on it that says FUSE. Pull the handle down and forward. Hope it helps.

IS JUST THE HANDLE OF THE CABLE BROKE OFF UNDER THE DASH? IF SO USE A PAIR OF PLIARS TO PULL THE CABLE TO POP THE HOOD.

If you can check your engine codes, I'll assume you can also use a multimeter. I'd start by trying to backprobe the radiator fan. When your OBD1 goes into it's brief diagnostic mode, it should cycle the radiator fan through either one or both speeds. I'm guessing it isn't. But if it's getting voltage at that point, then you know the fan itself it bad. If it isn't getting voltage, then perhaps it's a relay problem. Also, it may be possible your coolant temp switch is malfunctioning. Hope that helps.

It is held in place from behind with a long bolt. The easiest way to get to it is to remove the alternator. Remove the large top bracket that was holding the alternator. You can then reach the bolt with a ratchet and a deep well socket. Not difficult just a bit time consuming.

look on previous page one has been answered. from haynes repair manual all basically the same 1982-1994. hope that helps

The card/package that the thermostat came in should have installation instructions. For lack of instructions, install the pointed (longest) end of the thermostat toward the engine block. I think this will work for you, but be prepared to invert it if the engine starts to overheat. Always keep the packaging of any item you buy that requires assembly or installation as most of the time the instructions will be somewhere on the package. Good luck.

could be a shorted fan,try unplugging the fan and turn on the ac and see if it still blows,dont run it too long with the fan disconnected because the ac pressure increases because the freon is not being cooled.