Hi I am new

GF son has 71 cutlass, I am pretty sure it ate the timing gear, as it jumped time about 40 degrees and the distributor is tight. Engine has poor compression and does not suck any air thru carb. In advance I am a chevy guy, but I love all things GM so it is OK

The timing cover is exposed, that harmonic balancer is sure tight, it is off now, I assume heat helps get it back on.

To get the steel cover off without dropping the oil pan, or bending it, do you need to pull the 2 dowel pins out of the block? And yes, I did a search.

Or is there another way. I am sure the gaskets are hard, the oil seal in the front cover just crumbled.

We need to get it running, for now, eventually it will either be a really expensive restoration from rust or a parts car, but for now it needs to run.

Thanks in advance for all the advice

Rod

 

You must loosten the front few oil pan bolts as the front seal/gasket presses into the bottom of the timing cover. Dont mess with dowel pins. The balancer needs to be pulled off with a puller and preferably pressed back on without hammering until bolt threads catch.

 

Many thanks. The kid wants to save this one from the crusher. It is complete, just rusty. I have seen worse.

So we will work more tonight and I will let all know how it turns out.

Rod

 

Leave the dowel pins alone.
I usually remove the first 4-5 pan bolts going back, Permatex on the pan gasket will re-seal it. You do need some give with the pan. After you get the balancer off, lower timing cover bolts off, pull the large water pump bolts only, leave the small ones on so the water pump stays attached to the plate, not the block. This will let you use the length of the WP snout to leverage the plate on and off. The dowels will keep you located correctly.


Jim

 

NO! Absolutely not, do not use heat to reinstall the ballancer. You will need to borrow or purchase a harmonic ballancer installer tool. I would also recomend removing the oil pan completely. If this engine chewed up the timing gears all those little nylon particles are down in the pan. It's just a matter of time, but they will clog the screen on the oil pump pick-up.

 

I don't think he meant to take a torch to the balancer.

You take a piece of rope or wire and tie it around the balancer then use it to set the balancer in a pan of very hot water on the kitchen stove.
Wait a few minutes for it to heat up and expand then take it out and grab it with oven mitts and sprint out to the garage with it so it can't cool off and it will slip right on.
May take a few tries if you can't run fast or the garage is far away from the kitchen.
At a gas station I worked at the mechanic used the same pan on the hot plate in the back room for balancer heating that we used to make the delicious harmonic balancer flavored hot dogs in for lunch.

 

She is running again, very well.

Pan is sealed. There is a bit of a water leak on the pump, very slight, I think Bars leak will seal it.

The nylon was COMPLETELY gone, this has to be the worst looking timing gear ever

Inside of the engine is very clean. Now on to all the other things that are wrong.


what a list.

Rod

 

Dont use those leak things..any of them..useless products...if it leaks repair or replace...

 

That cutlass came new from the factory with stop leak in it.

I have successfully used them for years.

After the a$$ this kid made of himself after I posted the other message, he can fix the thing by himself the next time. Time for him to learn a life lesson. Don't **** off your mechanic.

Thanks for the help folks

Rod