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Timing cover gasket, front seal replacement. Questions...

garydan

garydan

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I've done this job in the past on my LS1 camaro, but I have a 400ci motor in my blazer and from the looks of it, its a different animal. I guess on these older motors there is a pulley and a harmonic balancer? From what I can tell by feel there is a center bolt, and 3 or 4 satellite bolts on the pulley. If I had to guess the satellite bolts are to be replaced by the pulley puller bolts. Once you get the pulley off, does the balancer just slide off (it seems to me that the balancer would only install in one way...since the timing marks on on there).

If someone could type out a quick procedure to get the pulley/balancer off I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Remove everything in the way , shroud , fan , belts etc .

Remove crank pulley .

Put puller on crank pulley bolt holes , remove balancer .

Then you can see the front cover , remove those bolts , lower the oil pan too so you can it right and definitely have no issues getting the front seated and sealed .

Your supposed to reinstall a balancer with a installation tool . Not a hammer ( Now in the old days when the cranks weren't drilled , prior to 1967 , I don't know what they did or what kind of tool they used , but I betcha it had to be a mallet or a tool that used the front of the block holes where the 55-57 motor mounts went ) .
 
pauly383 said:
Remove everything in the way , shroud , fan , belts etc .

Remove crank pulley .

Put puller on crank pulley bolt holes , remove balancer .

Then you can see the front cover , remove those bolts , lower the oil pan too so you can it right and definitely have no issues getting the front seated and sealed .

Your supposed to reinstall a balancer with a installation tool . Not a hammer ( Now in the old days when the cranks weren't drilled , prior to 1967 , I don't know what they did or what kind of tool they used , but I betcha it had to be a mallet or a tool that used the front of the block holes where the 55-57 motor mounts went ) .
Click to expand...

Ok thanks, could you expand a bit on the "remove balancer" part. Does it just pull off by hand once you get the pulley off? And when you replace it, are there marks on it to guide it back on properly?

Also, is it recommended to get a new bolt for the pulley? What are the torque specs on the pulley bolt?
 
garydan said:
Ok thanks, could you expand a bit on the "remove balancer" part. Does it just pull off by hand once you get the pulley off? And when you replace it, are there marks on it to guide it back on properly?

Also, is it recommended to get a new bolt for the pulley? What are the torque specs on the pulley bolt?
Click to expand...

You remove the balancer bolt , get the tool on the 3 pulley holes , the center of tool has a point that goes where balacer bolt was , as you turn the center , it pulls the balancer off .
 
So you basically have to use the puller on both the crank pulley (what the belts attach to) and the balancer (the round thing behind the pulley with the timing marks on it). Or am I just an idiot and they are both attached to each other.


Edit... I think I got it. Nothing like looking up parts on Jegs or whatever to get a bearing as to how they are connected. This is a totally different setup than my ls1. It looks the the crankshaft pulley is attached to the balancer by three bolts. Remove those three bolts and the pulley comes off, then you use the pulley puller on just the balancer.
 
pulley will/can fall off in hands when the bolts are removed....DO put crank bolt back and let tool foul out on bolthead not down in the bolthole, i've messed those threads up w/a puller
 
It has been my experience that you need to take off the oil pan bolts to drop the pan, as there is a lip on the front cover with a gasket that seals to the oil pan. The oil pan needs to be dropped about a 1/4 inch to allow the front cover/seal to clear the oil pan. this usually ends up tearing the gasket, or at least breaking the seal between gasket and block. I usually replace the pan gasket when I need to pull the front cover. When you do that you need to make sure you get the correct thickness seal between the pan and front cover. Older pans take a thin seal, from I believe 75 and up took a thick front seal.

or just use one of these kits for the oil pan. This pic is generic, but the one piece oil pan set includes longer bolts for the thicker pan gasket, and hold up pins for holding the gasket in place while putting the pan back on.






fel-0534510t.jpg
 
I just finished a new oil pan/one piece gasket job on the truck yesterday. I bought a new front seal, new timing cover gasket and water pump gaskets.

I figured I would change out the oil pan first then see if there was still a leak. There is still an oil leak, which I believe is from the front cover seal, which is why I'm doing this job now.
 
blazin_blazer said:
pulley will/can fall off in hands when the bolts are removed....DO put crank bolt back and let tool foul out on bolthead not down in the bolthole, i've messed those threads up w/a puller
Click to expand...

So in other words, buy a new crank bolt and while removing make sure the old bolt is threaded enough to support the puller so you don't screw up the threads.
 
i've never used a new bolt, but i learned the hard way not to let the middle of the puller on the bolt hole...so screw it back in the crank and let puller pull against the bolthead...that is indeed, screwed in enough to hold the load
 
pauly383 said:
Remove everything in the way , shroud , fan , belts etc .

Remove crank pulley .

Put puller on crank pulley bolt holes , remove balancer .

Then you can see the front cover , remove those bolts , lower the oil pan too so you can it right and definitely have no issues getting the front seated and sealed .

Your supposed to reinstall a balancer with a installation tool . Not a hammer ( Now in the old days when the cranks weren't drilled , prior to 1967 , I don't know what they did or what kind of tool they used , but I betcha it had to be a mallet or a tool that used the front of the block holes where the 55-57 motor mounts went ) .
Click to expand...

In the old days, we used either the sun to heat the pulley and ice to cool the crank, or have another vehicle running and use the heater to warm the pulley. Had to be careful because of the rubber in the pulley. Didn't take much heat to expand it.
 
I didn't use the head of the crank bolt, I used some 5/16th washers over the end of the crank. You don't have to take the front cover off to change the seal. Make sure you grease up the inside of the seal and the outside part of the harmonic balancer that goes inside the seal.
Torque to 65 ft. lb.
Tarey
 
yes, i forgot about mentioning anything about reinstallation, i always pack the seal where the spring runs w/grease as mentioned, and to reinstall balancer, i used to rent an installation tool from autozone, until i ran across 1 for sale at a deal and knew i would use it more than just a couple of times
 
GNERGY said:
I didn't use the head of the crank bolt, I used some 5/16th washers over the end of the crank. You don't have to take the front cover off to change the seal. Make sure you grease up the inside of the seal and the outside part of the harmonic balancer that goes inside the seal.
Torque to 65 ft. lb.
Tarey
Click to expand...

IIRC, the seal is set into the INSIDE of the cover, is it not?
on my '72 400, had to have cover off to replace seal.
 
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