I have been fighting this since late September. To save some time, rest assured that I have tried all kinds of solutions. What it boils down to now is that I have a damaged front timing cover that needs to be removed. I have the bonnet off the car, the radiator, header tank and water pump removed, AGAIN.

I really don't want to remove the head! I have read other posts that indicate the front cover can be removed without removing the head. I have identified all the bolts that need to be removed. I have already removed all of the front bolts from the cover.

I have removed the nuts from studs in the top of the cover that go through the front edge of the head. I understand that those can be removed by double nutting them.

I have also removed nuts from studs on the far side, top corners of the cover that seem to come from the head. Is that correct, that they are from the head? There were also two bolts that were horizontal going through the cover that I removed, just in case.

I still have the bolts from the oil pan to remove, 4 if I count correctly. Is that right?

So, if I remove the studs from the head that come down into the front cover and remove the studs from the cover that go up into the head, is there ANYTHING else I need to worry about in order to get the front cover off???

Again, I really don't want to have to remove the head. This all started with a water pump going out. All I want to do is get back on the road! Good grief Charlie Brown.

Thank you all,

Charlie

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 01:21

Another item for anyone to chime in on...the car was fitted with Champion N12Y plugs. Should I still use these or go for a cooler plug or maybe a hotter plug? I know the books say to use N11Y. Any other brand work better?

Just read up about plugs on the internet. I realize there is no firm answer as it can all be based on driving style, length of drive etc. Just trying to figure things out for the future.

By the way, I've decided to do a rebuild on the engine. At least I'll have a good starting point from here on.

Thanks

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 23:07

Dick,

I had no idea about the front cover being machined with the block. Thanks for that info. I was suspecting the rings after seeing the valves. Since the car hadn't been driven much nor regularly, I was suspect that the rings might not have seated properly.

I guess just to be safe I'm looking at an engine rebuild. Oh well, might as well bite the bullet and have a car I am confident in.

THANK YOU!

Submitted by rcmaury@bellso… on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 22:21

Before you use your "new" timing cover, realize that they are machined with the top of the block so when you torque your head, the timing cover is also torqued. If it does not match, you will have a leak around the front of the engine. The deposits on the valves are oil. Running rich is sooty and will wipe off. Oil will crust like this and more so on the exhaust valve because of heat. Check your rings and valve guides but most likely rings for blow by. This will be rather hard to do now that the head is off.

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 15:00

Can anybody adivse the size of the 3 studs in the front cover for the water pump. All three of mine have been replaced with bolts, one of which was heli coiled. I now have a new (previously owned) front cover that is in much better condition than the original, but it too is missing the studs.

I need thread size, both ends and over all length. Also pushing my luck here, a source for them?

Thank you all so much!

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 14:57

Pete,

Total mileage on engine I can only guess and say well under 5,000. It was always driven very short distances by my father before I got it. After I got it, we were only able to take one trip before the water pump went out.

I figure a lot of it is because of all of the short trips made.

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 23:39

Edited on 2013-03-17 23:43:09

Edited on 2013-03-17 23:40:50

The saga continues! Good grief.

Well, I couldn't drop the pan. Not at first anyway. So I pulled the head after all. Here is what I found.

Can somebody advise what they think after seeing the pictures? I have never seen this on valves before. The dark ones are the intake and the lighter colored ones are the exhaust. Also the piston tops look very carbonized. The engine has very low miles on it since last rebuild. Could this just be because of frequent, short trips?

Thank you.

Submitted by SE98-32482CJ on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 04:55

Charles you wrote the JCNA tool loan program about that tool. We responded we have plenty of them for loan--so many in fact we have some for purchase as stated in the tool program. Purchase would seem the best route as after shipping both ways you would be ahead. We did not get a response to the question. Please feel free to discuss this at 888-258-2524 ex #3.

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 00:22

Well I can't get to the last 2 bolts in the rear of the sump, so I have changed plans. Off with her head! This is easier than I thought. Should have gone this route in the first place.

Now if I can just find a Churchill J-2 upper timing chain tension adjusting tool.......

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 21:55

Well, I drained the oil today. Had coolant in the oil as I suspected. Quite a bit. Will a couple of oil and filter changes take care of it after everything is fixed? Once I get the front cover off I can repair or replace it and button everything back up.

Thanks all!

Submitted by mr.jwhey@rocke… on Wed, 03/06/2013 - 16:50

Charles,

I'm afraid that is the case. For the timing cover to come forward, the front main seal has to as well, and this requires dropping the front of the sump about 1/2 in as I recall. My sump was already off. THe worst part of fitting a sump is getting the rear end up over the torsion bar reaction plate without dislodging the rear felt half moon from the groove in the sump, and the operation's totally blind. I suggest you loosen the rear bolts just enough to get the front to lower 1/2 in and rest on a block of wood. That way the rear felt will hopefully remain in position. Replace the front main while you're in there. Good luck!

Submitted by coventryclassi… on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 15:30

Charlie, have you dropped the oil sump yet? The balancer will have to be removed. Without dropping the sump, the front seal will not let the timing cover out. Might be just better to remove the head??
Cheers Tom

Submitted by wmcwings@att.net on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 14:25

Joseph,

Thank for the response. Was it necessary to remove the crank pulley? Did you have to loosen any of the head bolts?

I'm just at my breaking point fiddling with this thing and want to get it done as easily as possible.

Thank you!

Charlie

Submitted by mr.jwhey@rocke… on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 07:59

Charles,

I removed mine a while back to replace the front oil seal. Memory is it came off easily but back on was a trick because I didn't remove the studs from the head, so had to slide the cover back over the studs without damaging extended lip of the head gasket. I was able to do it this way, although your way is definitely better and you should have no problem at all putting back on.