Well, I have been taking my good old time removing components from the front of my motor and today I finally made it to the part where I need to drop the oil pan a bit and remove the timing cover to replace my timing chain, gears, cover gasket and seals. I have had no problems yet, except I think I did mess up a little and I don't know how critical this will be during reassembly.

Some questions:
1) I messed up and marked the hub relative to the timing cover instead of the crank shaft. After I removed the hub, I realized that now that the crank has turned a bit I have lost the actual orientation of the hub on the crankshaft. How critical is this alignment. I remember when I started that the distributor shaft was aligned in the 12o'clock position as was the nub and mark on the hub. I suppose that if I align the distributor shaft back at 12o'clock and put the hub back in the same orientation I remember,m I should be ok, except that the shaft rotates differently than the cam.

2) I have done a pretty thorough search and research on how to do this job among our threads here on CF and someone had mentioned that you can buy a whole new timing cover with seals installed. Is this still true and is it worth it?

3) I'm planning on dropping the oil pan a half inch to and inch by leaving the pan bolts still threaded in, but just dropped enought to allow the front timing cover to be removed. After replacing the timing cover, what is the best method for cleaning and resealing the oil pan gasket? can I just wipe the gasket surface clean and then remount the pan? or do I need some Right Stuff sealer there too?

Any suggestions on this part of the job would be appreciated.
Thanks in Advance

 

anyone?

 

1) I did the same thing and had no ill effects. Car runs and feels fine.
(92 LT1)

2) Dont know.

 

Sorry hit wrong button. (computer illiterate)
3) I dont know if this would work but you gone this far pan gasket isnt that much more work. I did my crank hub seal and new hub and I still have leak so I guess I will be doing it over with timming cover and pan gasket this time.

 

Cover with seals was available for my 96 as of about a year ago when I did the job. Not necessaary of course but it was nice to have. The hub alignment is not critical because factory balance is not that close. The Helm's FSM does however, outline the orientation procedure. With the engine at #1 TDC firing a casting mark on the hub is at 12:00. If you look inside your hub bore you will probably see a mark left by the key slots in the c/shaft snout. While you have the cover off check the w/pump driveshaft hub for a wear groove. If present it will cause the new seal to leak. All new seals will require parts without wear in order to not leak. I would recommend pulling the pan so you can replace the gasket and while you are in there replace the plastic oil pump drive shaft coupler sleeve.

 

Greg, thanks for the reply. Much of what I thought, but better to have another opinion. I'm not looking forward to removing the oil pan to change the gasket since I have so little room to work. I have the car up on jack stands in a single car garage.

I've got this far without a major case of claustraphobia, but it's getting to me. I'm just glad that I don't have a time restraint on this job.

Does the oil pan actually come all the way off and out of the car? or just gets dropped enough to replace the new gasket? I was planning on buying the Felpro one piece gasket set.

cheers

 

I did my car on four stands in the garage and while not fun it is possible. The old gasket will probably leak due to being compressed and hardened and the difficulty of trying to clean the surfaces with the pan in the way so that RTV will adhere and seal makes success unpredictable. It will have to come all the way off in order to do the job properly. The LT-1 is a bear to change the gasket in the car because you have to devise a way to temporarily hold the gasket in place after applying four small beads of RTV in the corners while you wiggle the pan up and in position to get some bolts started. With the pan just dropped down the one piece design would be difficult to snake around the oil pick-up without cutting. I used some star washers epoxied to four short 1/4" studs to hold the gasket in place while I fished the pan around the front counterweight and up in place. I then used four long 1/4" bolts to hold the pan in position which allowed enough room for removing the star washers on studs. Not a fun job but a real sense of accomplishment will be yours when you can enjoy a clean car with no more leaks!

 

Even though the hub isn't keyed. You should be able to see a witness mark inside the bub for the cutout on the crankshaft. This will help you realign the hub.

Did that make sense?
-Mike

 

Yup - Thanks