Questions about timing gasket replacement

[ngoetz]

Well my 305 in my 81 k5 blew its timing gasket on a 400 mile road trip back home during Christmas break. I am now getting around to fixing it after it has been sitting for a few months. I have replaced to water pump several times due to faulty pumps but I have never done any other motor work. I will be selling the rig after I replace the seal so I need some advice on what to buy. I will be getting all new gaskets (water pump,timing cover,oil pan naturally) also I will getting a new oil pan as the current one is pretty banged up. Now my question is should I order a a new timing cover and I figured while I had it all opened up I might as well replace the timing chain. Can I get away with just replacing the chain or should I replace the timing gears also. Any words of wisdom would be great as I am doing it on a college budget and just want to get it up and running again to sell but dont want to do something wrong and fu*ck my self in the end.

 

[Jessie James]

My rule of thumb for vehicles which are being sold is to spend as LITTLE cash as possible. So, get the gaskets you need. Oil pan not leaking, water pump not leaking? Skip those. Replace the oil pan? Who cares.

Replacing the timing chain? Why? Unless it's stretched and causing problems AND you were keeping the rig, leave it alone.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Buy a timing cover gasket kit and an oil pan gasket (the timing cover kit will give you new water pump gaskets as well since it needs to be removed to do the cover gasket). If you're selling the rig once fixed I wouldn't spend any more money on it than needed (no new timing set, unless of course it is really messed up). You could also look at it another way, if you did replace it you would be able to tell the prospective buyer that it just had a new chain and gears installed which might help the sale but won't bring you any more cash for it.

 

[ngoetz]

another question while we are at it

You could also look at it another way, if you did replace it you would be able to tell the prospective buyer that it just had a new chain and gears installed which might help the sale but won't bring you any more cash for it.

Yeah that is what I was thinking but wasn't sure if it is worth it.
I have another question unrelated to this but my truck has a 4" suspension lift and 3" body lift. the transfer case wont go into low range. Would the body lift affect the shift linkages that much making it not go into low range?

 

[4X4HIGH]

Yeah that is what I was thinking but wasn't sure if it is worth it.
I have another question unrelated to this but my truck has a 4" suspension lift and 3" body lift. the transfer case wont go into low range. Would the body lift affect the shift linkages that much making it not go into low range?

If you have a NP208 t-case and the shifter linkage was not readjusted after the lift then yes the lift will affect the t-case from going into the proper gears.

 

[ngoetz]

how do I go about adjusting the shift linkage in my np208?

 

[63chevyll]

It's realy up to you what you do as far as repairs. I like doing things once, and like the piece of mind selling something I know was the best I could do for the money....if that makes sense..... not saying rebuild everything and reseal every gasket, but recommend repairing it as if you were going to keep it yourself.

If you choose to just do the timing cover, make sure the balancer didn't slip and rub a hole.in it.

And there is a way to remove and replace the cover without dropping the pan.

 

[diesel4me]

I'd replace the timing chain and gears IF it has more than an inch of slop in it--I got a 3 peice timing vhain kit for a 305 at Auto-Zone (chain & bith gears,steel cam gear) for 20 bucks,I think the gasket set cost almost as much!..cheap enough to do it and have peace of mind--would it be wirth having the next owner calling you to bitch about the timing chain jumping to save 20 bucks??.....It wont be hard to recover the 50 bucks or so the parts would cost you,just add it onto the asking price..

 

[84 k5 blazer]

I have seen a chain stretched so much that the chain slop had worn through the cover causing an oil leak. If it was me that had to replace the gasket, I would go ahead and replace the timing gears and chain while I was in there. But that is just me, I like to do things right the first time and not worry about the few extra bucks.

 

[teacher_dave]

If I were replacing the timing cover gasket, I would replace the chain and the cam gear too, but leave the crank gear alone. This job is really gonna be a PITA, because you have to pull the harmonic balancer and at the very least drop the front of the oil pan down an inch or two. Not to mention the bruised ribs from leaning over the core support and fenders all day fixing it.

Dave

 

[diesel4me]

I'd do all 3,the chain & both gears--the crank gear is pretty simple to pull off,if you lack a puller,I have used a sharp chisel to split it ,put the chisel right over the keyway slot--the cast metal breaks very easily,and it'll slide right off once its split...the new gear can be tapped on with a socket or peice of pipe,or heated in a pan of water till it'll slide on..getting the harmonic balancer off & on is probably the worst part of the job...maybe the timing cover install too--they can be difficult if you do it without pulling the oil pan down some,but most of the ones I did,I left the pan alone,and just grinded some of the lower "smile" gasket seal lips away on the cover so it can be installed easier,and I used a phillips screwdriver in the bolt holes on the cover and block to help pop it in--used RTV to seal it up good,never had any leaks there doing it that way...(sometimes the balancer has a groove worn it it so you may need a sleeve or risk a leak there though)..

I had 2 small blocks with timing chains so loose they wore a slot in the timing cover!--and more than a few that had no nylon teeth left on the cam gear,I found them all in the bottom of the oil pan,or lodged in the oil pump screen! --I put new oil pumps & screen in when I see that--a new Melling stock oil pump cost me 12.99 at Autozone a few years ago when I did my 305 over ,the screen and metal drive shaft for it was another 15 bucks...

I had one small block that had noises coming from the timiing cover area--thought it was a loose chain,so I bought a Cloyes double roller timing kit at a swap meet for 15 bucks--but before I took it apart I decided to do some investigating with my friends stecthascope--turned out to be the fuel pump had a busted spring,that held tension on the push rod that operates it!..took the pump off and started it up for a minute,no noise!..replaced the pump.put the timing chain kit in the glove box--it was still there when I sold it 3 years later!..

 

[teacher_dave]

I was just reading the original post, and if it's just the front seal in the timing cover that's leaking, I wouldn't even mess with pulling the whole timing cover off. Pull of the crank pulley and balancer, pry out the old seal, tap the new one in place, and reassemble. Can be done almost entirely from below, but you might have to pull the fan and shroud to have enough room to work.

Dave