DDMWorks 2.

4L Ecotec Engine Build Kit

Assembly time of the 2.4L LE5/LE9

engine depends on your mechanical
skill, If you are pretty handy with tools,
the engine can be assembled in under
an hour. However, we suggest you
schedule a couple hours if it is your first
time assembling an engine. This
assembly is not suggested for someone
not familiar with engines. If you
assemble the engine incorrectly, severe
damage may occur. This is only a guide
to the assembly, please reference the
service manual for complete assembly
notes.

If you have any questions during the

assembly you can call or text us at
(864) 907-6004 Email support is also
available - [email protected].

Tools Needed for Install

 10mm socket  15/16” Wrench or 23mm Wrench
 13mm socket  Torque angle gauge
 18mm socket  Blue Loctite
 32mm socket  Torque Wrench
 E12 Torx socket
 1/2” 12 point socket
 3/16” Allen key or socket

DDMWorks - 119-A Hwy 183 Piedmont, SC 29673

Tech Support (864) 907-6004 - [email protected]
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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain
These instructions are for assembling a
2.4L Ecotec block to cylinder head and
timing the engine. Before starting this
assembly the engine block and cylinder
head should have been machined and
assembled.

1. You should have the engine mounted

securely to an engine stand so it can be
rotated and is stable while being worked
on.

2. We will be using ARP headstuds on this

build and will reference those torques and Insert 10 head studs
assembly instructions. Open the box of ARP
head studs and insert the studs in each of
the 10 holes in the top of the block. One
end of the stud has a 3/16” Allen key drive
in the end, that is the side that will be up,
the other end will go into the engine block.
Tighten each stud by hand only, do not
over torque. A little blue loctite can be
used on the threads of the studs going into
the block if you plan to leave them in.

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

3. With the ARP head studs installed into the Locating Dowels
block, lay the head gasket over the head
studs onto the engine block. Picture to the
right is using a factory GM 2.4L LAF head
gasket. Be careful when handling the head
gasket, it is made of multiple metal layers
and the edge can be extremely sharp.
Make sure when installing the head gasket
you have the correct side up. With the
correct side up, the gasket will fit over the
2 locating dowels on the top of the engine
block towards the front and back.

4. With the head gasket installed and in

place, set the cylinder head over the head
studs and onto the engine block. Make sure
the alignment dowels on the engine line up
with the recesses in the cylinder head. The
cylinder should sit all the way down onto
the engine block, but may need a little tap
to set all the way down. If the cylinder
head does not sit all the way down, lift the
cylinder back off and determine what is
preventing it from going all the way down,
do not force the head onto the engine.

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

5. Using the lubrication supplied with the ARP

headstuds, lubricate the top and bottom of
the 10 washers and 10 nuts in the
headstud kit thoroughly. Make sure that
the top and bottom of the washer is
lubricated. Also make sure the threads and
the bottom of the nut is lubricated where it
will contact the washer.

6. Install the washers and nuts on all of the

studs finger tight. Then torque the nuts on
the headstuds get torque to 80 ft/lbs in 3
equal steps using a 1/2” 12 point socket.
There is a specific order to torque the
cylinder head, follow the order to the right.
Tighten the entire sequence of nuts to 20
ft/lbs first, then the entire sequence to 50
ft/lbs and then lastly to 80 ft/lbs.

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

7. Install the 4 bolts on the front of the Install 4 Torx head bolts
cylinder head. They use a “e12” 6 sided
Torx socket. Torque all 4 bolts to 22 ft/lbs.

8. The balance shafts slide into the front of

exhaust intake
the engine block. Note that each balance
shaft says “intake” or “exhaust” on it.
Make sure that they are installed in the
correct side. Secure with the 10mm head
bolt and tighten bolt to 89 in/lbs of
torque.

9. Next slide the larger timing sprocket over Slide sprocket over Crank
the crank with the markings facing out,
make sure to line it up with the key on the
crank. The sprocket should be pushed all
the way to the back until it stops against
the shoulder on the crank.

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

10.Install the water pump onto the engine Install 2 bolts

block. Use the 2 - M8x1.25x70mm bolts
from the back and torque to 18 ft/lbs of
torque. Install 1 - M8x1.25x100mm bolt
from the front of the engine to secure the
top of the water pump, torque to 18 ft/lbs
of torque.

Install 1 bolt here

on the front of the engine

11.Rotate the crank clockwise until it is at top

dead center (TDC). To rotate the crank,
use the crank pulley for the belt(s), slide it
over the key on the crank and then slide it
back off. When the engine is at TDC the
key in the crank will be facing straight up
at the 12 o’clock position. With the engine
at TDC, start to install the smaller timing
chain over the 2 balance shafts, water
pump pulley and crank sprocket.

Line up mark to arrow

12.You will see 3 colored marks on the timing

chain. One mark will have 3 colored marks
together (yellow, black, yellow in the
picture to the right). The mark with 3
colored marks lines up with the arrow on
the intake balance shaft.

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

13.With the 3 colored marks on the intake

balance shaft, line up the single mark
(black on this chain) to the arrow on the
crank sprocket.

Line up mark to arrow

14.Line up the last mark (black on this chain)

to the arrow on the exhaust balance shaft.
There is no specific timing needed on the
water pump pulley. The chain should be
over both balance shafts, the crank
sprocket and water pump at this point.

Line up mark to arrow

15.The plastic guides for the timing chain will

be installed next. There is a shoulder on
one side of the plastic guide that sticks
out. That shoulder must be installed
toward the block for the timing chain to
track correctly.

This side toward block

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 Installing Balance shaft/water pump timing chain

16.Install the first plastic guide just below the Install guide
intake balance shaft. Use 2 of the black
shoulder bolts with 10mm heads. Torque
these bolts to 11 ft/lbs of torque.

17.Install the next plastic guide between both Install guide

balance shafts. Use 2 of the black shoulder
bolts with 10mm heads. Torque these bolts
to 11 ft/lbs of torque.

18.Install the tensioner guide and tensioner

using the 10mm head bolts. Torque all 3
bolts to 89 in/lbs of torque. With all 3
guides in place, visually make sure the
timing chain is riding in the middle of all 3
guides. Once you are satisfied that the
chain is in the middle of all the guides, pull
the pin on the tensioner to release it. The
balance shaft/water pump chain install is
complete.

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

16.The next chain to install and set is the Install small sprocket
camshaft timing chain. Start by sliding the
smaller sprocket over the crank. Make sure
the small dot is facing out and the sprocket
slides over the key in the crank Slide the
sprocket all the way back until it is against
the larger sprocket installed earlier for the
water pump/balance shafts. Then rotate
the crank clockwise until the keyway is at
the 3’oclock position.

17.With the crank keyway at the 3’oclock

position, rotate the intake cam with a Timing keys
15/16” or 23mm wrench until the timing
key on the front of the cam is roughly at
the 5 o'clock position. Next rotate the
exhaust cam until its timing key is roughly
at the 7 o'clock position.

18.Slide the long timing chain tensioner guide

from the top down roughly into the
position, do not install a bolt in it yet. Also
at this point, rotate the crank clockwise
until the key is back at the 12 o'clock
position.

Install guide

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

1. Install the larger timing chain roughtly into Set Timing Chain in place
place by feeding the chain in from the top
of the engine. There is a boss sticking out
where the timing chain goes inside the en-
gine. Looking down from the top, you will
need to gently guide one side of the chain
to the intake side of this boss and once
side of the chain to the exhaust side of that
boss. Look at the front of the timing chain,
you will see 3 colored marks, 2 marks will
be the same color and one mark will be a
different color. Rotate the chain around
until the 1 mark that is a different color is
close to the front of the intake cam.

2. Line the pyramid on the front of the intake

cam sprocket up with the colored mark on
the timing chain. Then line the key in the
back of the sprocket where it slides onto
the cam with the recess in the front of the
cam. Slide the sprocket onto the cam, it
should push all the way on until the back of
the cam sprocket touches the shoulder on
the camshaft. Install one of the 18mm
head cam bolts finger tight into the front of
the sprocket. Pyramid mark on Sprocket

Key on back of Cam Sprocket

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

3. Line up the next mark on the timing chain

with the dot on the smaller sprocket on the
crank. You can rotate the crank slightly to
help line up the chain to this mark and
keep the slack off the timing chain between
the intake sprocket and crank.

Timing mark on Crank

4. The last mark on the timing chain will line

up with the pyramid on the exhaust
sprocket. With the timing chain on the
mark, slide the sprocket onto the cam, it
usually will not install into place, you will
need to rotate the cam about 15-20 de-
grees clockwise with a 15/16” or 23mm
wrench for the key to line up. Before
installing the cam sprocket into place you
can note the position of the keyway in the
cam and the key on the back of the
sprocket to get a better idea of how much
you will need to rotate it. Once you rotate
the cam, the sprocket will slide all the way
back against the shoulder on the cam,
install a 18mm head cam bolt by hand.

5. Make sure that the timing chain is in the

center of the tensioner guide you slide into
place earlier. Once the chain is in place,
install a single 10mm head bolt and torque
to 89 in/lbs.

Install bolt in guide

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

6. Install the timing chain tensioner in side of

cylinder head. Use a 32mm socket and
torque to 55 lb/ft.

Install tensioner on side

7. Verify the timing chain is still in the center

of the tensioner guide, the timing marks
are lined up with the pyramids on the cam
sprockets and the mark lines up with the
dot on the crank sprocket. Once you are
satisfied that all marks are lined up, re-
lease the timing chain tensioner. To re-
lease the timing chain tensioner it needs to
be compressed atleast 2mm. To do this,
we use a long metal rod that has a rubber
tip on to prevent damage to the timing
chain. You will need to use a suitable tool
similar to this to release the tensioner and
not damage the timing chain. Feed the tool
into place from the top of the engine and
place the rubber tip against the timing
chain. Then give a sharp jolt diagonally
downwards against the timing chain using
a quick blow of a hammer to release the
tensioner. Typically you will hear a little
“click” and the chain will feel tighter.

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

8. Verify the timing marks again to make sure

all marks are still lined up. If everything
still looks correct, tighten the 18mm bolts
on the front of both cams. Hold the hex on
the cam with a 15/16” or 23mm wrench
and torque the bolt to 22 ft/lbs +100
degrees of rotation.

Torque both bolts

9. Install the black timing guide over the tim-

ing chain between the crank sprocket and
the intake cam sprocket. It will slide up
from the bottom into place. Hand tighten
one of the black shoulder bolts in the
bottom hole of the guide, do not tighten
yet. For the top, you can use another
black shoulder bolt with a 10mm head or
the Dorman 917-954 bolt/guide combo.
Start either one in the top, once both bolts
are started on the guide, torque the black
shoulder bolts to 106 in/lbs. Torque the
Dorman guide/bolt to 66 ft/lbs. If you used
2 of the black shoulder bolts, there is a Black plastic guide in place
large plug that will cover the top bolt,
torque that plug to 66 ft/lbs.
10.Install the black plastic timing chain oiler
just above the crank sprockets. It is held in
place with a single 10mm head bolt.
Torque the bolt to 89 in/lbs of torque.

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 Installing camshaft timing chain

11.Install the metal guide between the cam

sprockets using 10mm head bolts. Torque
to 89 in/lbs of torque.

Install metal guide

12.Install the front plate gasket over the

alignment pins on the front of the engine.

Alignment pins

13.Install the front plate onto the engine

using 10 - M8x1.25x25mm bolts. Torque to
18 ft/lbs. Install qty 1 - M8x1.25x100mm
bolt just below the small water pump
access plate and torque to 18 ft/lbs.

14.Turn the engine over and install the oil

pan. Before installing the pan, apply a thin
coat of gray RTV to both the pan and the
bottom of the engine, follow the directions
on the RTV. Torque the oil pan bolts to 18
ft/lbs of torque.

The engine is now assembled and timed. Your

choice of intake, exhaust and accessories will
need to be installed.
100mm long bolt goes here

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