sb collant leak at timing cover??

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barbee6043

barbee6043

barbee 6043
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help!! i bought my mopar from a young guy that replaced this and that. i see collant leaking from edge where timing cover is at block. i took out the upper bolts on drivers side that hold on power steering pump, and put silicon on those but still see it leaking. i see some collant on right side at front corner of oil pan, been long while since i had sb, and don;t recall how water pump is involved with timing cover. really don;t want to start pullin parts and workin with no plan!!! so please offer info . thanks in advance, BILL
 
Here's a plan replace the timing chain and gears with a double roller chain set, also replace the water pump.

This will be the reason to pull the timing cover to inspect it for corrosion and replace it if it needs it.

Beware the outer bolts can become stuck in the cover.

While the front of the engine is clear of accessories replace the freeze plugs also.

Belts, oil & filter too. Might as well replace the plugs, rotor & cap while doing a compression test also. What the heck valve cover gaskets too.

Have fun getting to know your SB
 
Yeah, pull timing cover off, removing fuel pump first; check gears and chain. If the upper bolts come out, throw them away,or clean them good, if they came out hard; or buy new ones, use anti-seize on the threads. Buy "the right stuff" from Napa or where(Permatex) Costs, but works. New front seal, don't forget the carpet-padding washer on the crank. Keep oil slinger oriented correctly.

Snug up, then get oil pan bolts started( this is a future leak- plenty of right stuff (clean surfaces with acetone 1st; never trust sillycone.) Then tighten. quickly.
 
All good advice except I'd toss out the felt seal that comes with the gasket set.. If you don't have a good spare timing cover, you might want to see what is available near you. I would bet it's corroded to the point it's leaking. Install a new water pump while you're at it. NEVER use tap water! Use distilled and antifreeze and you'll not have a cooling system problem again for a couple of decades.
 
barbee6043 said:
help!! i bought my mopar from a young guy that replaced this and that. i see collant leaking from edge where timing cover is at block. i took out the upper bolts on drivers side that hold on power steering pump, and put silicon on those but still see it leaking. i see some collant on right side at front corner of oil pan, been long while since i had sb, and don;t recall how water pump is involved with timing cover. really don;t want to start pullin parts and workin with no plan!!! so please offer info . thanks in advance, BILL
Click to expand...

I've never had any luck slapping RTV on a coolant leak. The deal with the front cover is not only does the water pump bolt to it, but it provides the conduits to the block. This is different from the SB Chebby and the BB Mopar which use sheet metal front covers and are not connected to the water pump.

IMO there's no way around removing the front cover to fix the problem. Remember there are two bolts that come into the cover from the bottom. If you want/need to remove the front cover from the engine you'll need to remove the lower pulleys and the harmonic balancer. Buy/rent a puller to do this.

The objective is to get a good seal between the block and the front cover. When the front cover is removed, the gasket surface of the block and the front cover need to be cleaned to prepare for the new gasket. While this is going on, it is advisable to put some sort of covering over the opening to the oil pan created by removal of the front cover. This is to keep debris out of the oil pan.

After the gasket is replaced and tested for leaks. Change the oil. While coolant is slick, it will not protect the engine from the rigors of operation. With the leak in the front cover, there is no doubt that some coolant wound up in the oil pan.
 
The felt seal was used on the real early model small blocks that used a metal ring to sandwich the felt seal to the timing cover. They went to the one piece rubber seal later on so it became obsolete. I guess they still include them in case someone is taking an old virgin apart and they want to keep it stock.
 
I have a small pond on top of timing chain cover the substance is antifreeze. See photos. And please help. The pond is very small and when I wipe with paper towel the paint comes with it. Is this dangerous. Antifreeze leaking into timing chain?

20240421_171600(1).jpg


20240421_171600.jpg
 
I have found that the blue Fel-Pro timing cover gasket have more of a tendency to leak than the black ones do. Take it for what it is worth.
 
mygtsissweet said:
I have a small pond on top of timing chain cover the substance is antifreeze. See photos. And please help. The pond is very small and when I wipe with paper towel the paint comes with it. Is this dangerous. Antifreeze leaking into timing chain?

View attachment 1716239850

View attachment 1716239851
Click to expand...
You'll get more responses creating your own thread, rather than highjacking another one. Just some friendly advice.
 
barbee6043 said:
help!! i bought my mopar from a young guy that replaced this and that. i see collant leaking from edge where timing cover is at block. i took out the upper bolts on drivers side that hold on power steering pump, and put silicon on those but still see it leaking. i see some collant on right side at front corner of oil pan, been long while since i had sb, and don;t recall how water pump is involved with timing cover. really don;t want to start pullin parts and workin with no plan!!! so please offer info . thanks in advance, BILL
Click to expand...
Check the hose and the fitting for leaks on the manifold directly above the timing cover.
 
I've had this a few times. The aluminum cover pits and corrodes. Had it on Dakota 3.9s, also LA and magnum v8s
 
volaredon said:
I've had this a few times. The aluminum cover pits and corrodes. Had it on Dakota 3.9s, also LA and magnum v8s
Click to expand...
I've found that by using a quality antifreeze and a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water that the timing chain cover will not get pitted, also it's a good idea to drain and flush the coolant system every 3 - 5 years, I prefer every 3 years.
 
I do that but I have never bought one from new.
On every one of them I have had that happen to that was my own, antifreeze had been replaced at a minimum by virtue of having to replace a water pump or radiator prior to the problem happening. I've personally had it Happen 3x and my son had this on his 90 w250 with it's gas 360.
On my cordoba I had had the whole engine apart a couple of years prior for a complete overhaul.
On my Dakota the PO had had the same thing a few thousand miles before I bought it, whoever did it just replaced the gasket, 30k after that repair I had it again, and took the timing cover to a machine shop and had it milled flat again.
On a separate subject I was pissed to have seen that they took it All the way down to the timing chain and didn't replace it while it was exposed.
Also when the PO had the cove leak, he had had the water pump replaced 7k miles before that....I got this truck with a pile of receipts
 
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