318 timing chain.....and why the engine should come out.
I decided to change my timing chain just for the heck of it. I like the idea of solid timing that has a mark that stays in one place and doesn’t wander up and down on the balancer when I put a timing light in it. Mine was doing that so I just decided to put a double roller on there. Simple job.
When I took out the timing cover, I saw that the front seal, while not leaking, crumbled in my hand. I cleaned that all up and repainted it. Put a new seal in it and called it a day.
Next few days didn’t sit right. I took my time cleaning and painting the parts with Chrysler corporate blue. Painted the harmonic balancer gloss black and put a bright orange timing mark on it. Why black
I couldn’t see the harmonic balancer anyway because I have a 76 block and cover with a 69 water pump. The water pump covers the mark and you have to remove the power steering to even time the car. I was looking for contrast in the color that I wanted before I started all of this......and timing tape should help as well for total timing so I might do that.
Before any of this was done.......I used a piston stop to check the balancer for slippage.
To fix this I’m going to just put a 69 tab on the timing cover and cut a new mark into the balancer. Paint the new mark orange and the other one black. None of that has anything to do with this thread but I put it in anyway so maybe someone will get something out of that.
The reason I posted to take the engine out.
LOOK AT THAT TIMING GEAR.
I didnt take the engine out for that. I took it out because I thought. If the front seal looks like that. What does the back seal look like. Plus.....why not change the torque converter seal.....it’s probably shot as well.
I already have the whole front end of the engine off and these engines are stupid easy to remove.....took me maybe 2 hours if that. Having a mini starter off a Dakota helps.
I took out the rear main and it was hardened as I suspected .......as well as leaking.
I didn’t want to pull the engine...who would?
Now......I will say to get the rear main out.....
There is a metal wire built into the seal and you use a punch......hit it once and it comes right out.
I hope it seals as the new one slid right in with very little pressure
I didn’t know this wire was in there......until I was staring right at it with the engine upside down. I was trying to push it out because I didn’t research the procedure and didn’t see it .....
Just remember.....use a punch to get the rear main out. If it’s not obvious as to why. Look it up and you will see. I’m saying this so you won’t think otherwise and try another way.
So I got the rear seal in and decided to clean up the oil pan and install a high volume pump with a hardened drive gear. I had this pump sitting around for a few years now so why not?
The bearings are trashed........i should have gotten a picture of them. I did not put new bearings in. I will.....but not this time. I’m going to clean the engine and use the old bearings to do so.....then change them. The high volume pump will keep oil pressure with the added clearance of the worn bearings.....it won’t fix the engine. The oil pressure wasn’t bad anyway. It was 20 psi hot.
I was fine with that. There is sludge (not heavy) all over the engine and cleaning it would be difficult another way. ........I got as much out as I could within reason.
I want to rebuild this engine with Keith 167 anyway and have some machine work done , so it will be fine until then. Most of the sludge was in the pan when removed.
......I’m thinking several rounds of sea foam one at idle change the oil and another set @ 50 mile interval.
.
.............
The main reason for this thread. Was because of what I found in the oil pan. The plastic pieces off the timing gear were in the pan. This was expected. How many of them was not.
there was about 50 small pieces of it in the pick up. Not all of them were caught by the pick up and over time they were so oil hardened and brittle that they crumbled and made dust. I don’t even know how it had oil pressure at all but it did. 65 cold and 20 hot. 318 I guess......not a boat anchor.
The pick up and oil was so trashed with timing gear plastic that it ruined the bearings.
Had I known how bad this was I would have pulled it a long time ago. The 318 is known for being bullet proof so I just figured it would be fine.....maybe it would have been but I doubt it. At least not after 43 years old.
THESE TIMING GEARS........WILL TRASH YOUR ENGINE. Not to mention the 2” of play that the chain had and how can you total time a car with that mess.
So......
clean oil pick up
New timing chain
New front and rear seals
Clean oil pan
All new gaskets
Zinc added with new oil
Easy to see timing mark.......maybe I’ll put timing tape on it.
Should make this easier to time accurately and should increase the life of the engine until it gets rebuilt.
I decided to change my timing chain just for the heck of it. I like the idea of solid timing that has a mark that stays in one place and doesn’t wander up and down on the balancer when I put a timing light in it. Mine was doing that so I just decided to put a double roller on there. Simple job.
When I took out the timing cover, I saw that the front seal, while not leaking, crumbled in my hand. I cleaned that all up and repainted it. Put a new seal in it and called it a day.
Next few days didn’t sit right. I took my time cleaning and painting the parts with Chrysler corporate blue. Painted the harmonic balancer gloss black and put a bright orange timing mark on it. Why black
I couldn’t see the harmonic balancer anyway because I have a 76 block and cover with a 69 water pump. The water pump covers the mark and you have to remove the power steering to even time the car. I was looking for contrast in the color that I wanted before I started all of this......and timing tape should help as well for total timing so I might do that.
Before any of this was done.......I used a piston stop to check the balancer for slippage.
To fix this I’m going to just put a 69 tab on the timing cover and cut a new mark into the balancer. Paint the new mark orange and the other one black. None of that has anything to do with this thread but I put it in anyway so maybe someone will get something out of that.
The reason I posted to take the engine out.
LOOK AT THAT TIMING GEAR.
I didnt take the engine out for that. I took it out because I thought. If the front seal looks like that. What does the back seal look like. Plus.....why not change the torque converter seal.....it’s probably shot as well.
I already have the whole front end of the engine off and these engines are stupid easy to remove.....took me maybe 2 hours if that. Having a mini starter off a Dakota helps.
I took out the rear main and it was hardened as I suspected .......as well as leaking.
I didn’t want to pull the engine...who would?
Now......I will say to get the rear main out.....
There is a metal wire built into the seal and you use a punch......hit it once and it comes right out.
I hope it seals as the new one slid right in with very little pressure
I didn’t know this wire was in there......until I was staring right at it with the engine upside down. I was trying to push it out because I didn’t research the procedure and didn’t see it .....
Just remember.....use a punch to get the rear main out. If it’s not obvious as to why. Look it up and you will see. I’m saying this so you won’t think otherwise and try another way.
So I got the rear seal in and decided to clean up the oil pan and install a high volume pump with a hardened drive gear. I had this pump sitting around for a few years now so why not?
The bearings are trashed........i should have gotten a picture of them. I did not put new bearings in. I will.....but not this time. I’m going to clean the engine and use the old bearings to do so.....then change them. The high volume pump will keep oil pressure with the added clearance of the worn bearings.....it won’t fix the engine. The oil pressure wasn’t bad anyway. It was 20 psi hot.
I was fine with that. There is sludge (not heavy) all over the engine and cleaning it would be difficult another way. ........I got as much out as I could within reason.
I want to rebuild this engine with Keith 167 anyway and have some machine work done , so it will be fine until then. Most of the sludge was in the pan when removed.
......I’m thinking several rounds of sea foam one at idle change the oil and another set @ 50 mile interval.
.
.............
The main reason for this thread. Was because of what I found in the oil pan. The plastic pieces off the timing gear were in the pan. This was expected. How many of them was not.
there was about 50 small pieces of it in the pick up. Not all of them were caught by the pick up and over time they were so oil hardened and brittle that they crumbled and made dust. I don’t even know how it had oil pressure at all but it did. 65 cold and 20 hot. 318 I guess......not a boat anchor.
The pick up and oil was so trashed with timing gear plastic that it ruined the bearings.
Had I known how bad this was I would have pulled it a long time ago. The 318 is known for being bullet proof so I just figured it would be fine.....maybe it would have been but I doubt it. At least not after 43 years old.
THESE TIMING GEARS........WILL TRASH YOUR ENGINE. Not to mention the 2” of play that the chain had and how can you total time a car with that mess.
So......
clean oil pick up
New timing chain
New front and rear seals
Clean oil pan
All new gaskets
Zinc added with new oil
Easy to see timing mark.......maybe I’ll put timing tape on it.
Should make this easier to time accurately and should increase the life of the engine until it gets rebuilt.