Sweet64

Hello Everyone, just reaching out to the forum here to catch a few opinions and best way to go about removing timing cover/dropping oil pan,For camshaft/timing chain set install. The only questions i have is what everyone is doing to get oil pan sealed back up without removing entire pan? Can you remove front timing chain cover without removing any oil pan bolts first? Just looking for opinions on the removal and install of timing cover/oil pan procedures and getting everything sealed back up when doing a cam swap.Thanks everyone

brownbomber77

Dumb question...but before you start..do you have the right cam? As in, 39 or 45 degree bank angle?
Yes, you CAN, but getting that thing to seal back up is kind of a pain considering it's getting sealing pressure from the lip of the pan. Sucks, but probably best to pull the pan and replace the pan gasket after the timing cover is reinstalled. Otherwise you're sitting there prying away to get the timing chain cover off and then have to squeeze that bottom rubber gasket in

Sweet64

Bomber77, Thanks for the reply. I called Lunati few weeks back and we went over cam selections, picked one out to be custom ground on a 45 degree cam bank angle, along with a set of springs & lifters. I have since then received all my parts in for this project, along with digging around for some additinal info in the service manuals,as well as on the forums for any tips/advise on the project.Its the First Olds i have had in the shop over the years, turnes wrench on Chevys for many years, so i wanted to make sure i have things in place before tackling this job. My only concern was weather or not guys are doing cam swaps without removing the oil pan,and getting it sealed back up alright,that was really my only concern.Just wanted some feedback on the task at hand,or any advise for that matter. Thanks again BrownBomber77 for your reply, appreciate it.

Fun71

I have replaced the cam without removing the oil pan. I could not get the lower edge of the timing cover back on due to the seal "wings" and it being too thick (normally it is compressed by the oil pan when op is placed on top of it then bolted down), so I trimmed the seal and used RTV to ensure a good seal between it and the pan. The RTV also acted as a lubricant to help force the seal over the oil pan leading edge.

This is not the optimal method but it worked for me many years ago.

Sweet64

Thanks Fun71, That might be the best way to go about this, just curious, on that oil pan,did you losen up the front 4 on each side? Or do any prying down on the front of that pan? And,if so,did you use rtv sealent on the sides i take it. Ive read alot of guys prying down on front of pan after loosening up front pan bolts,and i just didn't feel to comfortable with that,mainly do to the fact of messing up original gasket/bending pan. Didn't know if ya did that also, or just trimmed that front seal like you mentioned and put a good amount of rtv in the corners/along seal. This motor wasnt built all to long ago,about 15k on it, very nice shape, pulling about 155 compression across the board, anyhow, my water pump started getting a little play/walk in it,wasnt leaking out of the weep hole yet,and i looked and looked and finally found one rebuilt for that one year only 64, and i tell ya what,thats all i was gonna do....and then few nights of looking at upgrades,kicking a few cold ones back,next thing ya know, im on the phone with Lunati ordering up a cam kit for the car and all sorts of new parts. I caint ever leave anything alone, always gotta add my touch to somthing i buy,been that way for years with all the projects a guy has come across.Anyhow,thanks for the advise Fun71, greatly appreciated!

Fun71

I think I loosened some of the oil pan bolts (this was nearly 20 years ago), but the oil pan didn't budge so I trimmed the timing cover rubber seal so that I could jam it in. Took several tries, with trimming a bit, trying to stuff it in, then trimming a bit more until it squeezed in there. I had to use the larger timing cover bolts that screw into the block to pull it in.

Sweet64

[QUOTE=Fun71;1004881]I think I loosened some of the oil pan bolts (this was nearly 20 years ago), but the oil pan didn't budge so I trimmed the timing cover rubber seal so that I could jam it in. Took several tries, with trimming a bit, trying to stuff it in, then trimming a bit more until it squeezed in there. I had to use the larger timing cover bolts that screw into the block to pull it in.[/QUOTE

Thanks again for all the advise Fun71, much appreciated, i hope all goes smoothly this week with the the rest of the project,and ill report back! Thanks