Lifted1904

Alright first off I'm new. I own a 2006 hhr 2.4l lt with 180 xxx km on it. Well I was in an accident the radiator wasn't replaced right. The car leaked some fluid and started to over heat. Well it blew my head gasket. Took me three months to figure out how to replace it. There is not many support videos and it was a task and a half. So I put it all back together but the timing chain was off by a notch or two( I'm use to timing belts)..messed up the top half of the motor my mechanic suggested to buy a new head and valves and I should be alright can anyone explain this better or suggest something... I tried salvages yards for the top half of the motor but they will only sell the whole motor for 950...

843de

to the forum!

Considering all that your engine went through, the questionable longevity of the "bottom end", and the overheating incident that started the ball rolling.

Your best bet might be just going with a "new" used engine, just make sure it's from an '06.

2006 HHR's have many unique to that model year parts, so only look at engines from your model year.

Lifted1904

I had found one motor from and 06 2.4l with 56k on it. The only problem I had was my car is what they told me a mid year meaning halfway threw the year they switch a few parts.i do t think anything to big but should this be a problem at all I've lined up the serial number with the same 8th digit of the replacement motor...so I guess I do have a motor lines up... But was just curious if gm maybe had made just the head part...I've put 2000 grand into it and I had bought it for 7 grand. With the motor the cost will just up to 1300 after installation alot of money but I miss driving

843de

The only part that usually needs swapping over is the exhaust manifold due to the presence or absence of an AIR port.

A quick search brought up these folks with heads for your HHR, just click the link below.

http://www.newgmparts.com/parts/2006...20%26%20VALVES

As I said earlier, you have to consider the health of the rest of your original engine, bolting on a nice new/reman head only to drop a rod a month down the road would just plain suck.

Blue Beast (aka Boydie)

Lifted1904

Welcome to the forum. Sorry about your HHR trouble .

Consider rebuilding your original engine. It should then be good for years and years, IMHO.

Boydie

Lifted1904

I ended up just buying a new to me used motor. 60 thousand kilometres and paid 760 after a hundred doller core charge. Was estimated about 11 hour job. Thanks for the help again all

whopper

Best of luck on the engine swap. I wish we had some comprehensive how-to info here on swapping engines for you.

Please keep us posted on how it goes.

843de

Because engine swaps are so involved, time consuming, and frankly not very fun, we've never had anyone do a write up.

Someday an enterprising member will write up a swap out, and we'll owe them a debt of gratitude....and probably a couple of cold ones too.

I think you made the right choice Lifted, keep us in the loop as work progresses.

Blue Beast (aka Boydie)

I swapped a lot of engines back in the day; 1940/1950/1960/70 engines. Back then with no computer to worry about nor sophisticated electronics it was easy. Most cars had lots of room to work on them. We swapped them outside, in barns or garages and even under a tree with a good solid limb for the chain falls or come-along.

First pull radiator and heater hoses, left/right motor mount bolts, speedometer cable, transmission mount, exhaust pipe, gas line, gas pedal linkage, clutch or transmission linkage, starter cables/wires, ground strap, hot wires to coil etc. Usually you pulled transmissions with engines. You could put almost any Ford engine in any Ford and same with Chevy and other makes. We put a lot of Chevy engines in Fords and Plymouths and etc which created different problems something almost impossible today.

It would be similiar today to swap out an engine but with computers, etc you can't just toss in any engine as we used to do.

What fun it was to put a big Buick V-8 in an old Ford coupe and smoke the tires.

Boydie

firemangeorge

Like Boydie, I swapped out many engines in the old days.
One thing about the HHR engine. It is, by design, meant to be dropped out the bottom of the engine compartment when doing an engine swap. This makes it a little tough on the backyard mechanic without a car lift.
Not sure if it's worth the extra effort to try to pull it from the top.