timing cover

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Jan 15, 2008 | 02:40 PM

brookman

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Burning Brakes

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From: chandler az

timing cover

1976 350

Does the oil pan have to come off to remove the timing cover?

Jan 15, 2008 | 02:44 PM

dgruenke

Drifting

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From: New Baden Illinois

It either has to come off, or you have to drop the front of it down far enough, by removing some of the front bolts and loosing the back bolts, to clear the lip of the timing cover.

Jan 15, 2008 | 02:45 PM

Durango_Boy

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From: Columbia Missouri

Quote:

Originally Posted by brookman

1976 350

Does the oil pan have to come off to remove the timing cover?

Yes. The water pump and balancer will have to come off too obviously.

Jan 15, 2008 | 02:47 PM

fotyfobravo

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From: Lake Arrowhead - Georgia > 72 Base Coupe & 74 BB Roadster

Not completely off, BUT you need to loosen ALL the bolts and slightly lower the pan....maybe just a half inch.

AFTER you re-install your front cover, then bolt up the oil pan.

If you are going to do this...maybe you should just go ahead and get one of those nice ONE piece felpro pan gaskets. The pan drops down really easy if you just drop the right side tie rod.

Good luck and have fun.

Jan 15, 2008 | 03:27 PM

brookman

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Burning Brakes

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From: chandler az

Thanks! That is what I was afraid of. This whole project did not start off well. He went to remove the top left waterpump bolt (long one through brackets) and apparently it was crossthreaded and put on with an impact wrench. it twisted off almost flush with the block.

So I got to show him 1st how to drill and use a bolt extractor.

Didn't work.

Then I got to show him how to do a heli-coil.

Thanks again.

Jan 15, 2008 | 04:05 PM

markdtn

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From: Chattanooga TN

No, you have to remove the water pump, but do not HAVE to remove the oil pan to change a timing cover or chain. If you use this method you clean everything nice and fill the lip with a large bead of RTV sealer and put it back together. Not the prettyest, but it works. Have done it several times. The oil pan is not that hard to remove, I would suggest taking the time.

While you are there a pump and pickup, new gaskets......

Jan 15, 2008 | 04:11 PM

brookman

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

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From: chandler az

What method are you referring to?

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdtn

No, you have to remove the water pump, but do not HAVE to remove the oil pan to change a timing cover or chain. If you use this method you clean everything nice and fill the lip with a large bead of RTV sealer and put it back together. Not the prettyest, but it works. Have done it several times. The oil pan is not that hard to remove, I would suggest taking the time.

While you are there a pump and pickup, new gaskets......

Jan 15, 2008 | 06:02 PM

stingr69

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From: Little Rock AR

The thicker (later) design front pan seal setup is a lot easier to pull the timing cover off without disturbing the pan bolts. Loosten the timing cover bolts and you can pull it off carefully. If you are lucky the thick rubber seal (4 piece set) will come off with the cover. Reinstall is not bad but you must be careful and very clean. I would advise using RTV and your finger to smooth the joints once it is back together. Less chance for a leak that way.

Or you can do it the harder way and redo the whole shebang.