2007 Chevy Malibu 2.2L Engine Torque Specs| Chevy Specs (2024)

2007 Chevy Malibu 2.2L Complete Torque Specs List

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Chevy Malibu 2.2L DOHC Engine Repair Information

Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Chevy 2.2L DOHC engine. In this guide we willstart from the inside of the engine including thecrankshaft, connecting rods, and piston ring installation and then move outwards all the way to the pulley beltsystem. Along the way correct procedures and torque specswill be given to aid in the assembly of the engine. Feel free to start from the beggining and work your wayoutwards or skip ahead to your current position in the engine for what you may need.

Crankshaft Main Caps Installation

The 2.2L engine block main bearing caps should be inspected for any defects or flaws before installation.Be sure to lubricate the bearing surfaces prior to installation. Once prepared you can place the caps onto the crankshaftand begin tightening the bolts down in a multi stage process. The first being 10 ft-lbs starting from the middle and going outwards.The second time around you can go to 15 ft-lbs and then for the third time you turn each bolt an additional 70 degree turn. Be sure togo through each bolt during each step and work your way from the inside or middle caps to the outside or outwards bearing caps.Once finished you should be good to continue with the rest of the engine.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L DOHC Main Cap Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs + 70°

Piston and Connecting Rod Installation

To install the pistons and connecting rods you must first install the piston rings into each piston. Be carefulnot to stretch the rings or break them during installation. Make sure to put the correct rings in the correctpositions, this can be determined by looking atthe instructions given with the new rings. Each ring manufacturer is different so be sure to check for yourspecific rings. Once the rings have been installed you can now fit the connecting rod bearings into the end capsand lube them up with oil or lithium grease. The piston can now be lowered into the cylinder, make sure the dotor mark is facing the front of the engine and that you don't scratch the cylinder.Once installed you can match the connecting rod caps with the correct rods and start to torque the connectingrod bolts to 10 ft-lbs and then to 18 ft-lbs followed by an additional 100 degree turn for each bolt. After all are done rotate the crankto ensure all pistons move smoothly in and out of their cylinders and nothing binds.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L DOHC Connecting Rod Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs + 100°

Oil Pump Installation

When installing the oil pump be sure to use the proper sealant around the pump base if neccessary to ensure that oil pressuredoesn't drop due to leakage. Both surfaces should be cleaned and preped prior to installing. After preparing the contact surfaces carefullyinstall the oil pump onto the timing cover and apply an ample amount of lubrication to the pumps gear and drive system. You wantto ensure that when the engine first starts that there is plenty of lubrication already at the pump. Once lubed up you can installthe oil pump cover to the timing cover and torque down the cover bolts to 8 ft-lbs. From here make sure that the pumps drive turns smoothlyso that when it is installed onto the crankshaft there will not be any issues with alignment. I always put a little bit of oil on the crankshaftseal to ensure that when you install the timing cover it seats properly.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Oil Pump Cover Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Cylinder Head Installation

The first thing you must do when installing cylinder heads is to ensure both the block and head surfaces arecompletely clean from dust, oil, and any debris. The next thing you must to isto set the camshafts to their correct positions to prevent any valves from hitting pistons during installationand torquing of the head bolts. Much the same you have to set the pistons to their correctlocations, typically this means putting the #1 piston to TDC or Top Dead Center. Once everything is ready youcan install the head gasket onto the engine block by aligning the alignment dowels.Something I usually do is spray down the head gasket with some engine copper spray from permatex which you canfind here, this ensures that any gaps that could be present between the 2 surfaces gets filled with thespray. Italso helps to transfer heat between the 2 metals. With the gasket in place you can set the cylinder head ontothe gasket and block, if needed have someone assist with this process as the head can be heavyand you don't want to scratch anything or drop it! Once the head has been placed you will want to startinstalling the head bolts to make sure it doesn't move. Be sure to buy new head bolts as many manufacturersuse TTY or Torque to Yield head bolts meaning they stretch during torqueing and cannot be used twice. Also makesure to lubricate the bolts in clean engine oil before installing them into the head. On Chevy DOHC engines there is occasionallybolt holes on the engine block that cross into water passages. Any hole that does this should be installed with some silicon sealant.A little goes a long way in this step and you can check holes by shining a flashlight down them and looking in the water jackets.Once all the head bolts have been installed and finger tightened you can start the torqueing process, almost allhead bolts have a multi-step process for torqueing. The 2.2L DOHC engine uses 2 different sized head bolts being longer ones andshort ones. The shorter bolts go on the outer side of the cylinder head and get tightened down to 26 ft-lbs. The longbolts go in the center of the cylinder head where the oil can access. If you are not sure where each bolt goes when you dropthem into the holes they should all start out at around the same height. If one bolt is higher up than the others it is in the wrong hole. The longerbolts get tightened down to 22 ft-lbs and then a 155 degree turn.Be sure to tighten the right bolts to the right specs as this is a critical component of the engines functionality.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L DOHC Cylinder Head Torque Specs (Short): 26 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L DOHC Cylinder Head Torque Specs (Long): 22 ft-lbs + 155°

Balancer Shaft Timing Installation

On the Chevy 2.2 DOHC engine the balancer shaft timing system is directly behind the engines timing chain and also runs the water pump.This timing chain system is rather large as shown in the picture and uses multiple timing chain guides. When removing the old chain and componentssimply just loosen up the chain guides and the balancer shaft sprockets and retaining bolts in order to pull them out. When installing new partsbe sure to install all sprockets before installing the guides and torqueing them down. The balancer shaft retaining bolts can be torqued down to8 ft-lbs. The balancer timing guides can all be torqued down to 8 ft-lbs along with the chain tensioner. The water pump itself is covered in another areaof this webpage further below. Once everything has been installed and torqued properly be sure to move to the camshaft timing procedures.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Balancer Timing Chain Guides Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Balancer Shaft Sprocket Bolt Torque Spec: 37 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Balancer Shafts Retaining Bolts Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Balancer Timing Chain Tensioner Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Timing Chain and Camshaft Installation

On the Chevy 2.2 DOHC engine the timing system is ran by the use of a chain. This chain system consists of a sprocket on each camshaft alongwith an externally installed tensioner, guides and a crankshaft sprocket. To remove the old timing chain system simply remove the side tensionerand remove the chain from the system along with the guides and corresponding sprockets. When installing a new timing chain start withensuring that the balancer shaft timing system is installed and timed correctly. That portion is covered just below this section. Once confirmedyou can start by installing the camshaft and crankshaft sprockets and torqueing them down. Starting with the crankshaft sprocket you can slide it ontothe crankshaft while aligning the woodruff key with the slot on the sprocket itself. Make sure that the timing dot is facing towards the 5 o'clockdirection so that the No1 piston is at TDC or top dead center. Next we can begin to install the intake camshaft and its sprocket. When placing theintake camshaft into its position ensure that the INT diamond is facing towards the 2 o'clock position and the EXH diamond is facing towards theexhaust camshafts location. The timing chain should have yellow or black painted marks which will align directly to the dots on each sprocket.Be sure to have the chain around the sprocket as you drop it into place as this is the easiest way to get the chain into position.Once ready you can install the camshaft bearing caps and torque them down to 8 ft-lbs, be sure that the lifters and rockersare all in place as you torque the camshaft down this torque is the same for the exhaust camshafts bearing caps as well. Now that the camshaft is installedwe can hand tighten down the sprocket bolt. Be sure to use new sprocket bolts for each camshaft as the old ones are TTY bolts and can only be used once.Next we can slide the timing chain tensioner down from the top of the engine and then torque its bolt down to 8 ft-lbs. From here we can bring the chain upto the exhaust camshaft and drop in the exhaust camshaft sprocket and wrap the timing chain around it while aligning the mark with the sprocket dot.Once aligned hand tighten up the exhaust camshafts sprocket bolt to ensure it stays put. The right side timing chain guide can now be installed from the bottom andtorqued down to 8 ft-lbs. Once you have tightened down the bolt through the access hole you can install the plug and torque it down to 66 ft-lbs.Now the timing chain primary tensioner can be installed into the rear side of the engine and torqued down to 55 ft-lbs. Once in you can activate it bypressing inwards on the plunger from the top of the engine. It should tighten up the chain and take out slack. You can also turn the engine slightlyclockwise to help the tensioner tighten the chain. Now that the timing chain is in place and tightened down we can torque the camshaft sprockets tospecification. Be sure to hold each camshaft with a 24mm wrench as you torque on the sprocket bolt. The camshaft sprocket bolts can betorqued down to 62 ft-lbs and then an additional 30 degree turn. Once both have been tightened install the upper guide and torque it to 8 ft-lbs.From here the timing system has been installed and you can move onto the next step of the engine.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Camshaft Sprocket Bolts Torque Spec: 62 ft-lbs + 30°

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Camshaft Bearing Cap Bolts Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Crankshaft Position Sensor Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Timing Chain Tensioner Guide Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Timing Chain Guide Bolts Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Timing Chain Tensioner Torque Spec : 55 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Timing Guide Access Hole Plug Torque Spec : 66 ft-lbs

Timing Cover Installation

The timing cover on the 2.2L is used to cover up the internals of the engine and hold in massive amounts of oil. For this reason I recommend usingsome silicon sealant along with a new gasket during installation. Be sure to clean all of the metal surfaces prior to installation and placing the silicon onto the metal.With everything ready to install be sure to double check your timing and engine internals before placing the cover in place. Another tip is to lube up thecrankshaft seal with some oil so it seats better. If everything is good to go then place the coveronto the engine block and begin to tighten down the bolts hand tight. Once all of the bolts have been set in place be sure to follow your sealants instructions by waiting the recommendedtime. Once ready the timing cover bolts can be tightened down to 18 ft-lbs. Be sure to not overtighten these bolts as it can be easy to do so.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Timing Cover Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Oil Pan Installation

Much like the timing cover on the 2.2L the oil pan plays an important role in keeping the engine oil inside theengine. For this reason I recommend using a new gasket as well as some silicone sealantduring installation. Using the same technique as before with the cover you clean the surfaces of both the oilpan and the engine block and then install the new gasket onto the block and then followit up with some silicone sealant. Be sure to follow your sealants instructions to ensure you get the best sealfrom your application. The oil pan bolts torque to 18 ft-lbs in a cross pattern design.Along with the pan is the oil pan drain plug, this gets removed and reinstalled quite frequently and can betorqued down to 18 ft-lbs.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Oil Pan Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Oil Drain Plug Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Valve Covers Installation

The valve cover installation is rather simple, there are rubber seals for each bolt hole and a silicone gasketthat prevents oil from leaking out of the engine. It is recommended to replace both the sealsand the gaskets although if they are in good condition you can reuse them. If you do choose to reuse them Iwould use some silicone sealant along with the silicon gasket to ensure it does not leak.The valve cover bolts torque down to 106 in-lbs or about 8 ft-lbs in a criss cross order. Be sure not to missany bolts to avoid having oil leak out onto the exhaust pipes and cause a lot of smoking.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Valve Cover Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Intake Manifold and Fuel Rail Installation

When installing the intake manifold you want to make sure you have all the surfaces as well as intake holescleaned out before placing the manifold into position. Once cleaned you can then placethe intake manifold gaskets onto the alignment pins. If you want you can also use a little bit of sealant on thegaskets to help ensure there are no leaks. With the gaskets in place you can now putthe manifold down onto the gaskets and begin to install the bolts. The intake manifold bolts torque to 8 ft-lbsand can be tightened in a cross pattern. The ignition coil assembly can be torque down to 8 ft-lbs and the spark plugs themselves can betorqued down to 13 ft-lbs, be careful not to overtorque these as they can snap and cause big problems.When installing the throttle body make sure that all of the gaskets are in good condition and will hold a seal as you do notwant to be leaking gas fumes around the engine. If everything looks good you can tighten the throttle body bolts down to 8 ft-lbs.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Intake Manifold Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Ignition Coil Assembly Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Spark Plug Torque Specs : 13 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Throttle Body Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Exhaust Manifold Installation

The exhaust manifold can be installed by cleaning the surface areas on both the head an the manifold itself andthen by using the exhaust manifold gasket and putting it in place. Once the gasket is in itslocation you can put the manifold onto the heads and begin to torque it down to 10 ft-lbs. I always use somecopper spray from permatex on the exhaust manifold gaskets to ensure I do not end up withany exhaust leaks once done. When you go to install the engine into the vehicle or if it is already in thevehicle the torque specs for the exhaust manifold to the exhaust pipes or catalytic converter is 20 ft-lbs.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Exhaust Manifold Torque Spec : 10 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Exhaust Pipe Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Water Pump and Thermostat Installation

The water pump on the Chevy 2.2L engine should be installed prior to installing the timing chain and balancer timing chainas the pump itself is ran off of the balancer chain. When removing the old water pump be sure to remove the entire balancer shafttiming chain or to hold the chain as the pump is removed and replaced. Failure to do so will result in the timing to be off and catastrophicengine failure. This is why I always recommend removing the chain system to ensure further engine damage does not resolve. The pump itselfhas a giant metal pipe that connects to the rear end of it which is used to transport coolant throughout the engine. It seals using an O ringthat I recommend coating with some sealant to ensure that it seals properly and no leaks develop. The pump itself can be torqued down to theengine block using 18 ft-lbs of force. The water pumps sprocket can be torqued down to 8 ft-lbs and then the balancer timing chain can be installedand continued. On the other end of the pump the housing bolts can be torqued down to 8 ft-lbs. If you happen to access the pump through the accessplate on the timing cover be sure to tighten up the plate bolts to 8 ft-lbs. Make sure you have a good gasket or some sealant as oil can leak throughthe plates sides if a leak occurs.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Water Pump to Block Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Water Pump Outlet Pipe Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Water Pump Access Plate Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Water Pump Sprocket Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Front Dress and Pulley belt Installation

Most of what is left on the engine is just place and tighten objects such as the belt pulleys, belt tensioner,throttle body, oil filter neck, crankshaft pulley, and motor mounts. If the items have a gasket and hold eitheroil or coolant inside the engine then feel free to add some sealant along with the gasket. Always be sure toinspect your gaskets and replace them if there is any deteriation or flaws with them. For thebelt system the crankshaft pulley gets tightened down to the crankshaft at 74 ft-lbs and then an additional 125 degree turn.The drive belt tensioner can be tightened to 33 ft-lbs and the idler pulley can be torqued down to 16 ft-lbs. When installing be sure theyboth turn smoothly and if they do not then replace them with new ones as the bearings can go bad. The enginemotor mount can be installed onto the engine block if it hasn't been already, the torques forthe mount to the block is 59 ft-lbs and then when installing the mount to the vehicle or frame it can be torqued to35 ft-lbs. Finally the throttle body can be installed on top of the intake manifoldwith a good gasket and some added sealant using 7 ft-lbs in a criss cross pattern. For installing the belt youcan use a tool to move the tensioner into its springed state and install the belt as shown in thepicture. The generator or alternator can be tightened down to the engine block using 17 ft-lbs of force.The power steering pump can be installed and torqued down to 18 ft-lbs and finally the A/C compressor can be torqued down to15 ft-lbs of force.

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Crankshaft Pulley Torque Specs : 74 ft-lbs + 125°

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Idler Pulley Bolt Torque Spec : 16 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Drive Belt Tensioner Torque Specs : 33 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Motor Mount to Engine Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Motor Mount to Frame Torque Specs : 35 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Alternator to Block Torque Specs : 17 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L Power Steering Pulley Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Chevy Malibu 2.2L A/C Compressor to Block Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs