Newbie with timing issue

[2015 Equinox Experiment01]

Hey Max, Apologies for the radio silence. Been on the road for work the past couple of weeks with limited connectivity.
Car is running as planned with one exception. Before the exception, had a bad mechanical knock when all was assembled and took it about 15 miles. No codes. Thought it was a rod knock at first but turns out 4 lifters lost their lift so went through the process of removing the head, replacing all lifters and clearing all the oil passages as a precaution. Went back together and then drove 100 miles to reset everything without issue other than a slight slip 2nd to 3rd. Did a tranny fluid change (not a full flush) and tranny was down about 2 quarts once we completed it. Cured the slip and drove the car for couple hundred miles. Next trip it started doing something odd. It idles in the 750rpm range and when in drive and stopped at a light, it would idle steady but car would try to surge forward and vibrate. Shifting to neutral solves it but very strange action since the RPMs are healthy and no codes show up. Oil is topped off and fresh, engine sounds fine it just does this randomly when engine is warmed up. Not sure if the torque converter is not sensing the full stop in drive or some other issue. Have not dug too deep yet but need to.
I have not had to handle the P0446 evap code issue so not sure i can offer any input on this one. Don't want to send you spinning in the wrong direction.

Hi, regarding your P0446 issue from an earlier post.
I replaced the timing chain and various parts associated with the timing. Had good luck with my engine repair. I also had the P0446 code. I found the pigtail to the valve in the canister was broken/rusted off. I bought a new pigtail and spliced it in and it worked fine after that. Something for you to check. Bob

 

[Twofeathers]

Here is the process that i photo documented for my own benefit. Note the crankshaft timing gear shows pre and post tensioner release with the slack showing to the exhaust side of the crankshaft on the before and the slack being taken up after. There are many videos out there but this one detail is not apparent in most and it is super critical. The other that shows on some is the need to put a wrench on the exhaust cam and rotate it slightly clockwise to get the cam shaft gear aligned to the pin position. Once you get that to pop on the end of the cam, you release the tension on the wrench and the chain is very tight from exhaust mark to the intake mark. All of that with number one at TDC on exhaust stroke so the intake lobes are really in contact with the intake valves on number one but not yet enough to open the valves as that happens immediately on the downstroke for intake of fuel/air as the engine rotates. This job can be done by removing the air filter housing etc on the top and the passenger tire and some of the wheel well trim however i found it much easier if i supported the engine with a jack and block of wood and removed passenger side motor mount assembly. The rear engine mount (drive axle passes through it) and the transmission do the majority of the work when supporting the engine but the jack allows you ability to align the access hole with the pulley tensioner and then everything else is more visible. Good luck! Will keep you posted on the road testing.
In the photos, note the rag stuffed into the small access to the oil pan below the crankshaft. Highly recommend this precaution or something will land in there and you are now dropping the oil pan too.

I just did one of these today and I did them just like the photograph, but when I rotate the engine over the timing marks don’t line up again, but according to the manual, it says they should lineup every second revolution ! I don’t find this to be true. What is wrong?