Timing Chain Inspection and Replacement
- Thread starter Tynan918
- Start date
Good plan do it once and get it right. Someone will tell you that they have done it without removing the car, yeh right! If it leaks you are the one that has to do it again Fred! Cleaning everything up and painting is the way to go. I'm replacing my rear end and have most of the rear stuff out to do more detailing too.
Downside to that is sometimes it creates a huge project. Ask me how I know that.. LOL
To a perfectionist there is no small project, there are but it gets turned into a large project. I know I do it all the time. Decided to pull my exhaust from the headers back since the rear end is out, well that has led to new mufflers (discovered Flowmasters eaten with rust thru) new hangers for the shorter new ones, detailing where everything attaches and now decided to put an access panel inside the trunk to access the full pickup so I can put an in tank pump for EFI later. Everything is now super clean, repainted and ready to install. S60 arrives in 3 days so now I have to begin to put everything back.
My wagon project started out as a leaking heater core and some burnt up wires. You can see in my thread how that ended.
You don't need to remove the engine. problem is the gasket at the bottom of the timing chain cover does seal the front of the oil pan. If you ever build a small block Chevy you will see the timing chain cover was meant to be installed before the oil pan.
It goes in this groove in the timing chain cover.
You need to glue that seal into that groove with real glue not RTV (use a Shellac type glue) you will fight with the cover to get it back in, this seal cannot move when you are doing it. Put RTV on the tabs where that rubber seal meets the existing oil pan gasket.
Remember the oil pan gasket is a filthy mess the RTV will not stick to it. Best to put a very small bead of RTV and let it form a skin (harden up a little) so it can press against the pan gasket firmly sealing with compression instead of sticking to it, since it will not stick.
Another thing that can help is to loosen the pan bolts a little, do not pry the pan down it will ruin the gasket, loosening it will make the timing chain cover easier to remove and replace and can help tighten up that front gasket. Tighten all the bolts on the timing chain cover. Then retighten the oil pan bolts.
It goes in this groove in the timing chain cover.
You need to glue that seal into that groove with real glue not RTV (use a Shellac type glue) you will fight with the cover to get it back in, this seal cannot move when you are doing it. Put RTV on the tabs where that rubber seal meets the existing oil pan gasket.
Remember the oil pan gasket is a filthy mess the RTV will not stick to it. Best to put a very small bead of RTV and let it form a skin (harden up a little) so it can press against the pan gasket firmly sealing with compression instead of sticking to it, since it will not stick.
Another thing that can help is to loosen the pan bolts a little, do not pry the pan down it will ruin the gasket, loosening it will make the timing chain cover easier to remove and replace and can help tighten up that front gasket. Tighten all the bolts on the timing chain cover. Then retighten the oil pan bolts.
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The issue is the timing cover needs to be installed/removed @ a fairly straight angle. With the oil pan going on last, it prohibits that straight shot required thus why the need to drop the oil pan. Many oil pans don't have enough room to drop w/o raising the engine slightly. Oil pans are also finicky @ the rear seal as well. More than one guy has tried pulling the pan down slightly to allow enough angle to remove the timing cover only to find in doing so they disturbed the rear seal & now will likely have a 2nd leak source.
This is why many opt to fully yank the motor. Doing so allows clear & easy access when reinstalling the tins to minimize the possibility of continued leaks.
Not trying to make the OP nervous but lets be honest. Theres a lot of variables here. What kind of pan gasket is on the motor ? A one piece might be okay but what if the motor was put together with a cork gasket and something like High Tack ? Glued to the pan AND the block. Seen it more than once. Its opening a can of worms.
Tynan918, not disagreeing with some of the other guys but be prepared to pull the motor just in case this doesnt go as planned. Last thing you want is to do this work and have it leak when its back together. Especially since it sounds like you've never done anything like this before. Just sayin.
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