360 timing cover install- Help!

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Mike69cuda

Mike69cuda

Mopar Moron
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Tried to install timing cover on my 360 today, in the car. Made a real ultra back sealer mess & gave up. Couldn’t keep oil pan rubber seal in place. Had to trim bottom cork gaskets since I didn’t remove oil pan. Got too much sealer on them & they squished out. Pretty much of a cluster noogie. Looked like an explosion in a gasket sealer factory by the time i took it off and on a dozen times. Haven’t done it in 30 years & it shows.

Going to try again, hopefully better prepared. Anybody got any tips or tricks?
 
Place sealer on timing chain cover gasket and place on block. Use threaded rod into bottom of timing cover. Leave inch or so threaded rod hanging out of bottom of timing cover. Put sealer and gaskets in place. Tip: Use sewing thread to tie little cork pan gaskets in place. Tilt timing cover into place and place nuts on other side of pan and tighten them and use them to pull timing cover down onto rubber half moon pan gasket for good fit. Once you get to desired spot, run timing chain cover bolts in. Use caution when tighting pan nuts, cork gaskets will squeeze out.
 
Why is the pan on? Is it in the car?

EDIT: it’s in the car. Don’t use any silicone in cork gaskets. Use gasgacinch or similar. Go easy on the silicone on the pan seal.


EDIT II: also loosen the pan bolts 3 or 4 back on each side so the pan can drop a bit.
 
Only use the sealer in the corner where the cover, block and pan meet.
Use two large phillips screwdrivers (or equivalent) to locate the cover on the block through a bolt hole on each side of the cover and pry it down where it belongs.
Put a lower bolt in each side of the cover to hold it in place and continue assembly.

Keep in mind you want to get the cover to crank seal centered, so prying it down with the screwdrivers helps do that and the bolt on each side holds it there.
 
Ya their a bugger to do in car I did mine with the above tips it went on ok but did leak a little
 
If you drop the pan you can clean it and the oil pick up screen. Timing cover goes on easy when the pan is out of the way. The one advantage to nylon gears and runners that so many engine contain. No choice but drop the pan to get the debris out of it.
The GM owners could boast about their little sheet metal timing cover, "goes on sooooo damn easy". Then they would admit, "No oil, had to drop the pan anyway". I would say, "Could have been worse. Could have been a front wheel drive Eldorado".
Good luck
 
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