What Year Did Cover Change?

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olddman

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The olddman has a question! I have a 1965 Dart GT with the Charger 273 engine. Last year I had to replace the timing chain cover and discovered that you have to remove the timing chain cover in order to replace the front seal. After replacing the cover, I read somewhere that the timing chain cover was changed a few years later so the seal could be replaced without having to remove the cover. Could someone refresh my memory as to when this happened?
Do not plan on having to replace the seal for a while, just wondering!!
 
There's four distinctly different designed LA covers that I can think of off the top of my head:
Early LA up to '68, which used a timing tab that was attached by the2 bottom water pump bolts.
Late '68 and '69, which had a cast-in timing tab on the passenger side.
In '70 they switched to driver's side timing marks to accommodate the new aluminum water pump with a passenger side inlet.
As previously stated, they later ('80s? or somewhere around there) revised it to allow changing the seal from the outside.
Technically, any of them would physically fit your motor, but only the ones up through '69 have the timing marks on the passenger side.
 
'68 was a split year for covers. Early used the bolt on timing indicator.......late had it cast into the cover on the passenger side. There were some replacement covers made in the ''70's? 80's? that have the early part number with the later seal design. There were also some cast iron covers used in industrial applications. Those usually had the water pump offset a bit.
 
Thanks for the information. Like I said I hope I don't have to change out the seal, but you never know. Just a bit of work to change seal.
 
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