oki am going to change a timing chain for the first time...

[BJM]

IMHO any rebuilt or new water pump will work fine. The aftermarket folks do a good job of solving problems you don't actually have.

Leave the oil pan on unless for some reason you want to take it off. Make sure you remove the 3 bolts at the front of the pan the go into the front cover. The gasket sets for a front cover job will most likely come with a short segment of cork oil pan gasket to replace the often ruined stock one. Cut the original one flush at the block surface and substitue the new one. My stock gasket is rubber and was fine and flopping around after I pulled the cover off. As I outlined above I used dental floss through the bolt holes to hold it in place when I put the cover back on. My original gasket is still in there doing its thing. Overall there is no need for a timing cover job to require pan removal.

One tip you might try is pull the water pump off leaving the cover on the engine. I jacked up the rear axle as high as my jack could go to spill out all the coolant I could from the block. Drop the rear down again and pull off the engine cover, you will get less or even no coolant falling out of the block face. With the cover off coolant can fall into the open pan lip in with the oil and I really wanted to avoid this. I got just a few drips in the pan this way.

 

[salvageV6]

I'd pull the pan early. Easy to clean the pickup screen and any coolant should hit the driveway.

If you need to do the rear main it makes for easy access.

Clean the pan out thoroughly and you can do a good inspection of the contents such as metal chips, sludge, bearing material, and possibly timing gear teeth.

Clean it all up real good and you can tack the new gasket in place and let dry overnight.

I like the cork gasket, rtv or weatherstrip adhesive for tacking to the pan none on the gasket to block surface.


If you don't plan on cleaning inspecting or doing the rear main, then perhaps you can get away without pulling the pan.

New gasket on the pickup tube too. Maybe even a new pickup tube if it's really gummed up.

 

[FJM568]

You have a choice of FelPro timing cover gasket sets...One has the neoprene front seal and the other set comes with the stock rope seal...GET THE NEOPRENE ONE!!! I think it may even be cheaper than the rope seal one...If you are going to reuse the stock front cover, then just pull the rope seal out, put the sheetmetal retaining ring out, deburr the stake marks and carefully put the neoprene seal in...

The other comment I have to make is, with pieces of timing gear in the pan and most likely the fibers from the front rope seal there, too, Pull the pan and clean it out good!!! You will also get coolant in there if you remove the timing cover first and the coolant will stay in the bottom of the pan, because there is a nut welded on the inside of the pan for the drain plug to thread in to...The coolant will stay in the bottom of the pan where it'll get sucked up by the oil pump...Also, either go to the dealer and buy a new oil pump pickup tube or get the aftermarket one made by Melling...The original factory pickup screen had a relief valve built into it and there is a chance that you now have something stuck in it blocking it open, especially if you lost a few teeth on the timing gear...You will be amazed at all the little crap that gets stuck in the pickup screen, especially the rope seal fibers...Also, locktite the pickup screen bolts in...The aftermarket pickup tube is only like maybe $10...

Don't forget when putting the oil pan back on(put it on last), to put a smear of sensor safe black rtv on the seams of the oil pan rail where the rear main meets the pan rail and at the front of the block where the timing chain cover meets the block...That should take care of any possible leaks there...

 

[J Banning]

Mike,
How'd the job turn out? Any advice for others?

P.S. I brought those folding chairs to E-Town for ya but you and your your buddy weren't there. Guess it'll have to wait till Spring time

-Banning.