Timing Cover
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
Timing Cover
I need some help with getting these thing off. I've removed all the bolts, pryed all the way around with a screwdriver, beat it with a hammer, it still wont come off. I've spent the last hour trying to get it off. I've never seen such a stubborn motor. Any tips? 
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 375
Likes: 18
From: Lawrenceville Georgia
The front cover does not come straight foward to remove. Botom of cover has a "lip" that slips inside the oil pan that holds the front rubber gasket. My experience is to loosen the oil pan is the only way to remove cover. And even then you will have to tilt the cover foward to allow the lip to slip out of oil pan.
Joel
Joel
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
I have never had much luck getting one off without lowering the pan. Second, look just above the two lowest bolts, you will find two locating pins,maybe 3/16 in in diameter. I have always found that prying the top out first is the way to go.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 375
Likes: 18
From: Lawrenceville Georgia
Remove the first 3 or 4 bolts from the front of the pan on each side. Loosen all the rest about half way. This is not an easy deal with pan on, but it will come off. Also be sure you understand what CFI-EFI was referring to on how to trim front seal. That was a good point I forgot to mention. Front cover has to "roll" out from the top.
Joel
Joel
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
You need to lower the pan a bit. Some have done it without doing this, but it's much simpler if you do. In fact, now is a good time to drop the pan completely and put on the one piece rubber pan gasket and never have to worry about it leaking again.
Are you 100% positive that you've removed all of the fasteners? You can also try slipping a putty knife (carefully) in between the cover and the block to break the old gasket loose.
Now...given that you've pried on it, it may not seal when you put it back on. Check it for damage before reusing it.
It shouldn't be all that difficult to remove.
Are you 100% positive that you've removed all of the fasteners? You can also try slipping a putty knife (carefully) in between the cover and the block to break the old gasket loose.
Now...given that you've pried on it, it may not seal when you put it back on. Check it for damage before reusing it.
It shouldn't be all that difficult to remove.
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Joe Kucinski
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
Did someone RTV the crap out of it? I can't imagine why it wouldn't break loose unless someone used something like JB Weld to put it on. The gaskets on these are thin, and even the cleanup is easy.
At this point, breaking it off may be the answer. SBC timing covers are easy to come by.
At this point, breaking it off may be the answer. SBC timing covers are easy to come by.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: MD
pry close to the dowel pins to start, they fit very tight sometimes and make it difficult to get off.
Once you have it off, take some tin snips and cut the inside corners off of the cover where the seal sits in it. That way you can slip the cover in and out without even taking one bolt on the oilpan loose.
Once you have it off, take some tin snips and cut the inside corners off of the cover where the seal sits in it. That way you can slip the cover in and out without even taking one bolt on the oilpan loose.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
Did someone RTV the crap out of it? I can't imagine why it wouldn't break loose unless someone used something like JB Weld to put it on. The gaskets on these are thin, and even the cleanup is easy.
At this point, breaking it off may be the answer. SBC timing covers are easy to come by.
At this point, breaking it off may be the answer. SBC timing covers are easy to come by.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
Please reconsider....the chrome ones have a tendency to distort and leak. And given the amount of work invovled removing it, I would advise staying with a stock cover.
I'm stumped on yours. The cover on my 140K mile 84 came over very easily, even after the harmonic balancer committed suicide and bored a nice hole in the seal. I suspect yours has been off before, and someone decided to use something seriously sticky to reinstall it.
When it does finally come off, let us know what you encountered....I'm quite curious. I've removed dozens of these over the years and never had one stick this badly.
I'm stumped on yours. The cover on my 140K mile 84 came over very easily, even after the harmonic balancer committed suicide and bored a nice hole in the seal. I suspect yours has been off before, and someone decided to use something seriously sticky to reinstall it.
When it does finally come off, let us know what you encountered....I'm quite curious. I've removed dozens of these over the years and never had one stick this badly.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
I finally got the cover off, what a relief! I had my neighbor come over and help me. He got underneath the car with a long piece of aluminum pry bar (it was over 1" thick!) and pryed the bottom of the cover up while I used a steel spud bar to pry outwards and it popped off. The cover itself is relatively not too bad. I knocked out all the dents with a hammer and sprayed it with some new paint, looks brand new
Its a good thing I decided to replace the timing set cause once I got in there I found that the chain had a LOT of slack in it. I didnt bother to measure as I knew it was bad (over 1/2" easily). The cam gear had a big crack in a couple of places that went all the way through, heres a pic with arrows pointing towards the cracks.
Its a good thing I decided to replace the timing set cause once I got in there I found that the chain had a LOT of slack in it. I didnt bother to measure as I knew it was bad (over 1/2" easily). The cam gear had a big crack in a couple of places that went all the way through, heres a pic with arrows pointing towards the cracks.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
Glad it finally came off. Yep, looks like a good time for a new timing set. I replaced mine at 140K and it ran like a completely different car afterward. More low end power, better mileage, stronger vacuum, smoother idle, better sound....just all around better running car. I had a ton of slop in the chain and was losing a bunch of timing advance.
Congrats on the victory...
Congrats on the victory...
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 522
Likes: 3
From: Rolling Meadows IL
If your 85 is like mine, you will never get the cover back on without lowering the oil pan. I just did a cam for the second time and it was easy to get back on with the oil pan lowered. The first time I did it I put in a one piece blue Fel-pro oil pan gasket. So this time I didn't have to replace it. I just pulled all the bolts except the back 2 that I just loosened and dropped it down. I didn't even need to remove the oil cooler water pipe.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 522
Likes: 3
From: Rolling Meadows IL
I struggled with mine for a few days before I gave up and did the oil pan. Don’t waste you time with the 4 piece gasket or a floppy black one piece. Get the Fel-Pro blue one piece gasket. It has steel in the straight sides and it is easy to line up. It’s a pain to get the oil pan off if you have the Z51 opt. with oil cooler because you need to drain the A/F and remove the water pipe that goes under the oil pan. If you still have the big starter you need to remove it also. Enjoy.
Last edited by dave_85; Apr 22, 2008 at 05:24 PM.