Great Timing Cover "Pains"
What's the best/easiest why to pull the harmonic balancer in order to replace a leaky timing cover (coolant leak around water pump bolt from cavitation wearing out the aluminum)? All the drive train components (904 torqueflite, starter, drive shaft, motor) are installed and ready to go (darn it)! How am I to break loose that crank bolt? Rent/borrow/steal an impact wrench maybe?
The 318 was rebuilt ten years ago and only has about 2,000 mile on it. I guess as an "economy" move, I must have re-used the old timing cover. I won't be doing that again any time soon.
After the recent restoration ('65 Formula S) I replaced the drive train and found a fairly major leak as soon as I began re-filling the radiator. I had used sealer on the bolt threads so at first it was a mystery. After applying sealant a second time, still leaked. "Alumaseal" stop-leak came to the rescue after about a ten-minute warm-up but only lasted a few days which got me to thinking: "this leak is too profuse to be squirting around some bolt threads".
So I brought out an older 340 timing cover in storage only to find the area around the same suspect area was completely worn away (see photo #1 where the screwdriver tip is pointing). I concluded my installed timing cover must be in similar shape (see photo #2). I pulled the water pump and verified my suspicions. I could see the paper gasket in that spot was not being compressed at all, providing a free channel for the coolant to make its escape (see photo #3). At least now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for any and all help in this matter!
What's the best/easiest why to pull the harmonic balancer in order to replace a leaky timing cover (coolant leak around water pump bolt from cavitation wearing out the aluminum)? All the drive train components (904 torqueflite, starter, drive shaft, motor) are installed and ready to go (darn it)! How am I to break loose that crank bolt? Rent/borrow/steal an impact wrench maybe?
The 318 was rebuilt ten years ago and only has about 2,000 mile on it. I guess as an "economy" move, I must have re-used the old timing cover. I won't be doing that again any time soon.
After the recent restoration ('65 Formula S) I replaced the drive train and found a fairly major leak as soon as I began re-filling the radiator. I had used sealer on the bolt threads so at first it was a mystery. After applying sealant a second time, still leaked. "Alumaseal" stop-leak came to the rescue after about a ten-minute warm-up but only lasted a few days which got me to thinking: "this leak is too profuse to be squirting around some bolt threads".
So I brought out an older 340 timing cover in storage only to find the area around the same suspect area was completely worn away (see photo #1 where the screwdriver tip is pointing). I concluded my installed timing cover must be in similar shape (see photo #2). I pulled the water pump and verified my suspicions. I could see the paper gasket in that spot was not being compressed at all, providing a free channel for the coolant to make its escape (see photo #3). At least now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for any and all help in this matter!
