Change timing gears without loosening or pulling the oil pan?

halfafish said
Haha. Your slant will NEVER perform like a Tesla.

If it was me I'd just pull the engine. I can't see getting a good seal again on the timing cover if leaving the pan installed. It would be awkward as hell to degree the new timing set too. One of the gurus might have tricks to do this but to me it looks like an exercise in frustration to do it in-frame.

If you do this get a Rollmaster timing set. Spendy but well worth it.

This ^^^^^ Pulling the engine is the easiest way to do a good job. The engine is designed to remove the oil pan to get the timing cover off. That's how it's done. Just because joe blow says he's been doin it without pan removal for forty years, doesn't make it right. What you will end up with is an engine that leaks like the Exxon Valdez. Pull it and do it right.