i have a broken down 97 z24 cavalier and im not too familiar with chevy engines.

its a 2.4l twin cam and i was driving it one day and got home, went to turn it back on and it wouldnt catch the start. if i started it and floored it i would get it to catch on but it would die out as soon as i let off the gas. gm did a compression test on the first cylinder and said theres no compression in it at all.

i had a dry rotted vacuum hose, like a little mini one towards the front of the engine compartment but im sure thats not it. my friend said it could be the IAC motor?? anyone with any help? thanks..

 

Is there no compression only on the #1 cylinder or all of them? How many miles?
Best case senario: Timing chain is worn out and jumped timing without bending valves.
Worst case: internal engine damage.

If it's only #1, it's worst case.

 

drop a 3.8 in it...make that J body worth something at the least.

 

if there is no compression, the head needs to come off anyways. unless your going to pull the entire motor and put a new one in. my guess is what bill said, your timing belt jumped some teeth and you bent/broke a few valves. a 4cyl can run on 2 cylinders, very roughly, but it will still run. your starter has nothing to do with it.

and hate to be an ass, but for someone who has so much done, how do you not know to quit looking once you have figured out you have no compression?

 

well i still wasnt sure.. i dont know. im dumb when it comes to chevys.

 

its got suprisingly 57k miles on it. the timing belt was supposively at 51k miles and when i had the compression test done he said there was no compression in the first cylinder but thats the only cylinder he checked.

 

and engine is an engine....you need air fuel spark, and compression.

 

Your motor has a timing chain, so if you paid someone to put a new timing belt on at 51k, you got ripped off. The chains do stretch and wear out, maybe that's what was done @ 51k. I've got a 2.2 sitting here that I need to do myself. First thing you need to do is check compression in the other cylinders, if they all read and #1 is the only dead one, something is wrong inside, I'm not sure if that's an interference motor or not, maybe someone else can help here. It is possible that your chain just jumped timing and all you need is a new chain, tensioner, and of course the timing set right. I'm really doubting it with that many miles though, good luck.

 

pretty sure it is an interference motor. i told him to do a leakdown test and he will know where the trouble is at.