My crank sensor died today. The pickup was hitting the "ring" behind the balancer & it all just died a horrible death-I was going to fix it later today but it decided to keel over in menards parking lot Guess i waited just a little too long to fix it!

Anyway, it broke the crank sensor & the mounting bracket, also the "ring" behind the balancer. I'm going to get the balancer & bracket from the junkyard & a new crank sensor tomorrow.

I noticed when tearing apart the wreckage that the crank sensor bracket is a bear to get off. Theres two 13mm bolts on the top & bottom, then a locating tab in the center. I had to wrestle with the locating tab & ended up breaking it off. I'm pretty sure its going to be the same way at the junkyard, so am I better off just getting the entire timing chain cover and leaving the crank sensor bracket attached to it? Are they normally this hard to get off? I have a lot of miles on mine, so I'm not sure how much age played a factor in getting the bracket off. Got any tips? I wiggled, spun, PB Blasted and still ended up breaking the tab.

Heck, might be a good time to pop a new timing chain in there as long as I'm this close. Is there anything else in there I should replace since I'm there? Cam sensor?

If you have the original timing chain, with 250k, now is a good time.. yes. If you replace the Timing Chain, replace the Cam and Crank Sensors. Also make sure the Cam Magnets are all there, and secure. If you want to skimp.. just go with the crank sensor. However, you found how first hand what it is like to put-aside projects. It can't hurt to replace the Timing Chain, Cam and Crank sensors.. and give that area a good cleaning.


-justin

this is the problem I got,
I need to fix this issue before the big bang..
but how??

You guys have either a Haynes or Chilton'* Manual? If not, now is the time. Look for something with your year on it.. H-Body will be on there somewhere [most likely]. It'll have what you need, myfriend.


-justin

Dunno about other years (a "C" engine is a "C" engine) but Helm is still having their $30 special on the 1990 FSM. Such a deal.
http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.a...BONN&Year=1990

to do the crank sensor you do not need to remove your timing chain cover. One thing is that there is a tool out there to align the sensor properly. If not aligned properly then you will end up in the same situation as you are in now.

I tried to get my balancer off at one point to change it myself, but there was no way I was gonna budge that bolt, so I let the garage do it with the air tools.

i know crap about my car other than how to take stuff off and bolt new stuff on. diagnosing a problem i can't do unless i have been threw it b4 but i have never ahd this problem b4. problem is 1ce my thermostate gauge hits quarter way up from 100 my car starts to really screw me over. stalls real easy when idle. my dad started playin with the crankshaft sensor to see if that was it (dad'* a diesel mechanic) sure enough i was havin even more problems. took me 45 minutes to take a 10 minute drive cause of all the f-ing stop signs and lights. when the car is in a load its runs fine other than a sputter or 2.

I've kind of got good news for anyone in my situation with the broken bracket. The bracket itself is available from most parts stores-I was able to get a new CPS and bracket for $27 from a local parts store. o I guess I'm not the only one who had a ton of trouble with the locating pin on the timing chain cover! Brilliant idea by GM to use cheap pot metal to make this part While at the junkyard, I noticed GM started making the bracket & sensor as one unit out of plastic, so this must have been a pretty big problem. hey also changed the ring on the back of the balancer, so its not possible to update to the newer style plastic bracket without also swapping balancers.

Heres the bracket-


I'm going to just wing it with the busted locating tab on the T/C cover for now. I'm pretty sure I can adjust the CPS without the tool, since finding it will be impossible. There is room to get feeler gauges in there & adjust the airgap, it wil just be a little problem.

im still confused
I dont even know where to start..
never had any of these problems before..
in my 86 lesbare my timing chain went but thast in the boneyard long ago

Can I get a picture mabye?
something to give me an idea of what and wehre is this damn sensor

Easiest way to describe the location, is look at the left side of the engine, where the belt runs. Look all the way down, the last pulley you see is bolted onto the crankshaft. Behind that pulley is the crank sensor. You may see a wiring harness running to the back of that pulley ( harmonic balancer actually), that harness is running to the crank sensor.