getting front timing chain cover off....

[Red coupe]

ITs time for me to do my timing chain on my 92. I recently took a classes on engine rebuilding so Im not worried about any of the timing stuff, but Im not sure how im going to get the timing chain cover off. Ive heard some say to just lift the engine, some say to drop the front crossmember, and some have said just pull the engine/transmition. I work and goto school so Im going to have to do this at akward times so I dont know how much help I can get from friends. What would be the best way to get the oil pan off so I can take of the lower cover/redo pan gasket?

Any other tips o help out would be great aswell (Ive done plenty of searching most only say to lift the engine but dont say how. Jack up the crank pully remove pan then put it back down?)

[IveBeenBad]

To remove the timing covers, you need to remove the valve cover and the crankshaft pulley. dropping the oil pan may or may not be necessary.

[Red coupe]

from all accounts I have heard there is a lip on the bottom cover and the oil pickup is attached as well so removing the oil pan is nessisary. I know how to take off the valve cover and top cover and stuff...just dont know about getting the oil pan off, as I need to redo the gasket anyways.

[eddiec]

yes teh oil pump is attached to the back of the front cover. and the oil pickup, which is attched to the bottom of the oil pump, extends down into the pan. there also is a bolt holding the pickup that bolts to the bottom of the block inside the pan.

i would recommend removing the pan completely so you can seal it up proper when done. its possible to either lift the motor or drop the front subframe. i went with the last option. i used stands at all four corners and just let the front end sag down out of the way.

[180fan]

Regardless, you won't be able to pull the front cover off without dropping the oil pan. It's not a KA24E where you can do that. What I had to do was lift the motor (remember to pull the transmission cross member off, and the driveshaft as to not tear your transmission mount, etc) loosen the motor mount nuts almost all the way and then raise the motor up an inch or two. It'll be an awkward position to get the gasket off, but it can be done.

Lift the engine as in get a hoist, chain up the motor (after pulling the valve cover off) at the exhaust and intake manifolds, then lift the motor up.

[deathkeeper]

I just finished doing my timing chain, and was able to sneak the pan out without even loosening the mounts. There is quite a bit of room for the engine to move within its mounts. I just jacked it up at the bellhousing to just before the point that it started to lift up the car with with it. You will then have to remove the sway bar, and it will slide out. It is an extremely tight squeeze, so tight in fact that it will scrape the paint off of the rear pan flange on the crank girdle. To reinstall it you will have to leave the gasket off of the rear of the pan, or else it will just wipe off on the crank girdle (very bad). Instead, put the gasket on the rear mating surface of the block paying carefull attention to the indention pattern on the pan and how it will seal.

As for removing and reinstalling the oil sump when using this method, use a 12mm closed ended wrench for the bolts on the sump, and I think a 10mm ratchet on the sump support that connnects to the block. Practice putting the pan and sump back on without dropping the bolts in the pan before you put gasket on it.

If you can pull this off, it will save you a lot of time.

Good luck!

[deathkeeper]

Oh yeah, and remember to clean the mating surfaces of the block and pan extremely well. I used rubbing alcohol on them which seemed to work well.