Greetings,

Just replaced the chain & gears as the oil gallery orifice had plugged over the past 120,000 original miles.

Have a chassis manual but no info is shown on the following:

1) Torque for the oil gallery plugs
2) Torque for the fuel pump eccentric to the camshaft bolt
3) Depth for the front oil seal (realize that GM had a tool but looking for depth of seal from surface of the front cover)

Wondered if a replacement front cover is still available as this one is very corroded from the water pump.

 

Hi. Here's some answers to your questions.
1. No spec in my book. Just put on some teflon tape, and tighten by hand.
2. 65 FT LBS.
3. Book shows tool# BT6405. I don't have one either,, I just seat it full. No issues. Also, I bought a NOS waterpump cover from that "E" auction site for $50.00. I think he still has more. Do a search. Hope this helps. Jim.

 

I have replaced engine that had a timing gear go bad.If your plastic gear breaks and the pieces are still in the pan you might want to pull your pan.My engine had all the gear pieces in the oil pump screen and it swarmed the engine.

 

Just curious; I have '72, 350 that I bought new and the engine has never been out of the car. I am having the transmission gone through now, mainly because it had a little leak (seals dried out) but since it was out I let the man go through the whole thing.

I wanted to have the engine pulled, last year when I started to get this vehicle fixed up a bit, but I could not find anyone locally to do the job. I am curious as to the condition of the timing gear you replaced. Did it show obvious wear or was the engine running rough? What is the general consensus of this group on the probable condition/life span of mine, with 100K miles on this engine?

The car starts easy and runs great and always has. It does not use any noticable amount of oil and in all other respects it is in fine condition.

 

If you have the motor out of the car, change the timing chain now.

I did this to my motor. The timing chain set cost me only $37 from Summit Racing. I got a double roller

 

No....I don't have the engine out of the car. I said I wanted to do that early on but couldn't find anyone locally who whould takle the job. I'm surrounded by amatures!

I wanted to know if the originator of this thread had problems with his car...running rough something that might point to a timing chain problem or did he just change it because the circumstances were at hand to do so?

Also...what is the concensus of the forum on the longevity of the timing gear in a well cared for vehicle with 100K miles on it? I know it would be a SWAG but I'll take anyone's opinion and weight it as just that, an opinion.

If I had mechanics here that could work on 'time and materials' instead of looking everything up in a book that tells them how long, how much and how hard each job is, I would have done this long ago. I do not have the tools or the knowledge myself, although I am learning and am willing to learn. this is still a bit beyond me.