Timing Cover Crisis

[Jesse Smith]

Guys! After almost a year of procrastination and a busy month of working, my new to me 350 finally turned over for the first time! I was the happiest I’ve been in a long time, until I saw oil all over the floor. Come to find out, my timing chain cover has a hole in it... heartbreak. Can anyone tell me if they’ve had experience changing a timing cover? Do I have to pull the engine back out? I can’t drop the oil pan as the axle is in the way. Any suggestions would be much obliged

 

[Madhorn]

Wow, sorry to hear about the oil leak. A hole in the timing cover? Very interesting. Do you think it is from rust, or maybe a timing mark flange spot weld failure? Either way it sucks. I have removed the cover without dropping the pan, at the same time I do not suggest doing it. If your truck is a 4X4 there should be plenty of room to drop the oil pan. One suggestion is to jack the truck up, place the frame on jack stands and let the axle drop without the weight of the truck on it. Also consider lifting the front of motor up, may give you an extra couple inches.

 

[shiftpro]

Try to be so bummed... could always be worse. Like starting up the new engine and wiping a lobe off the cam, or a valve was never tapped to seat the locks and it drops...!
It's a bugger but also a small detail. Get at it, it's nothing compared to all the work you have already done.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

If you need front clearance to pull the balancer, I’d suggest taking the radiator, shroud, and fan out. I don’t think the engine should come out for this. I’d definitely try to find a way around it.

 

[Rusty Nail]

So are you gonna buy aluminum or. ?? How about the ZINC STEEL?

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[bucket]

There's plenty of room to drop the pan on a 4x4.

Depending on what made the hole and where it is, you might be able to just patch it without removing it.

 

[75gmck25]

I've gone through this recently to replace my cam, and its not that big a job if you borrow the right tools.

- Disconnect the battery and take off all the belts
- Remove the fan and shroud to get clearance.
- Remove the water pump and alternator.
- Borrow a balancer remove/install tool from Autozone or Advanced Auto. You want the combination tool set that can pull it and also be used to press it back on.
- Pull off the balancer with the removal tool.
- Take out the bolts (10?) for the timing cover.

If you don't want to pull the oil pan
- Loosen the front bolts for the oil pan almost all the way, and loosen all the other oil pan bolts to allow for some flex in the pan.
- Break the timing cover loose at the top and start working it away from the block
- As you get closer to the bottom bolts, use a wide pry bar to push the oil pan away from the block and allow you to pull the bottom of the timing cover out.
- If you can jam a wide screwdriver on each side between the oil pan and the block, toward the edges, it will hold the pan down a little and you can used both hands to pull out on the timing cover and pop it out.

Reinstall is much easier if you have pulled the oil pan, but it can be done with the pan in place.
- Install the oil seal and lower gasket on the new timing cover, and RTV the lower seal to the pan so it stays in place.
- Use a sticky gasket adhesive or RTV to stick the perimeter gasket to the cover.
- Align the top of the cover with the bolt holes, and push the bottom up against the pan.
- Add RTV at the corners of the seal where it will be against the pan.

- If the oil pan is off, just push the timing cover into place and tighten down the bolts.
- If the pan is on you will have to push hard to get the cover and seal to pop back into place. I used the balancer install tool and short section of 2" PVC to push against the timing cover and gradually push it back into place. I also lubed the groove in the oil pan so that the seal would slide into place easier.

This is also the time to check out your timing gears and chain, and probably replace them for good measure. The cam gear is easy to swap, but the gear on the crank will require a good puller and reinstallation tool (borrowed). You might also want to consider using a two piece timing cover if you plan to do any work on the cam in the future.

Bruce

 

[Rusty Nail]

I've gone through this recently to replace my cam, and its not that big a job if you borrow the right tools.

Bruce

Lol!

 

[75gmck25]

Ref LOL! - I guess you have to put it in the context of other engine work.

I had mine apart to swap in a retrofit roller cam and new aluminum heads. As part of that job, replacing the timing cover was pretty simple. However, even that got a little complicated because the new aluminum cover had a different profile than the stock cover and it got in the way of my PS bracket. I had to grind some metal off the bracket so it would rotate enough to be able to get the belt on.

Bruce

 

[WHEELMAN]

Taking the radiator out would give you some extra room.but if you are a slim guy.dont sweet it.

Get a cover with a gasket kit.it should have the two short pieces.for the front edges of the oil pan.you take a razor knife.cut those tips off.

Remove the belts.the fan and bottom pull and harmonic balancer.it will have a center bolt.may be good to lose that before taking the belts off

You got to get everything away from the cover.take all bolts out.two under the front oil pan.when installing the new cover

Got your gaskets in place.and sealer.get all bolts lined up and started.snug them.before tightening them all the way

One more thing.do not forget your timing pointer if it has manual timing.

Well this was off the top of my head.from the ol days.might be videos on YouTub.