Cascade Crew

[Al Hasse]

I went out to run a errand this morning, and when I came back, I noticed a stain on the driveway. I popped the hood and discovered that I had sprung a leak where the lower radiator hose meets the motor. I checked the weep hole in the pump and it seems dry, the balancer is also dry. The only place I could find coolant was trickling down the hose and dripping from the elbow bend. Hopefully its just the clamp or the hose. I bought a new pump just in case, but I'll return that if I don't need it. The hose nobody has in stock, ordered one from the Auto Zone hub in Federal Way and should be here this afternoon. I just removed the hose and it seems to look OK, but I'll replace it anyway - and new clamps on both ends. The hopefully no more leak.

[Al Hasse]

Well, it wasn't the hose or clamps. Looks like a gasket - either the water pump gasket or the timing cover gasket. I'm thinking it's the timing cover gasket because the that's where the water outlet is. My timing cover protrudes a bit from the motor where the water outlet is, when I reached behind with my fingers, they came back wet. To be on the safe side and do the job only once, I'm replacing the timing cover set, which also includes the water pump gasket. Now comes the fun part of pulling the balancer from the front of the motor (lucky it's the V6 so there is room to do it), but that will have to wait until tomorrow or next weekend.

I got the water pump out, and in the process, one of the 8mm bolts along the bottom snapped off, and I was only using a 1/4 drive ratchet. I have attempted to use an easy out, but all I've succeeded in doing was to drill a hole into the broken bolt, it's not moving yet.

[Xophertony]

crappy.

good luck with the rest of it al.

[blue89]

Do you have another timing chain cover? I might have one around here somewhere. That might be the easiest thing to do. You're going to have to unbolt your oil pan to get the timing cover off though. Its a flat bottom cover. I have all the stuff to convert to the older slant-pan if you're interested.

[Al Hasse]

Thanks, I might be able to use that, especially if I can't extract the remaining water pump bolt. I don't remember how we put this motor together, I thought we put the oil pan on first, then the timing cover, but I could be wrong.

[Al Hasse]

I got the timing cover off after fighting with the harmonic balancer. I had to pull the balancer and pulley as an assembly, two of the bolts holding the pulley on were so tight that my impact driver couldn't move them (granted it only 18V cordless). Fortunately, the two I was able to remove were opposite each other, so I could put the balancer puller on it.

From what I can tell, my leak was at the gasket around the water outlet passage that goes from the block and through the timing cover into the water pump.

What I have remaining to do is scrape the old gasket from the block, extract the broken water pump bolt, then replace the seal for the crank. For now the project is on hold until next weekend, except for extracting that bolt - I can do that inside.

[Quasi-Traction]

Al,

Do you know anyone with a portable welding setup? Might work to weld a bolt to the recessed threads and then twist out.

I feel your pain with fasteners. I had one of my wheel lugs give up one hell of a fight today to come off. Looks like the wheel stud is cross threaded.

[Al Hasse]

I already have a pilot hole drilled into the broken bolt. Problem is, the easy-out that I am using has only succeeded in making the hole bigger I think this one is cross-threaded also. I'm going to try a different style extractor and maybe some heat. I really don't want to get another timing cover, that's a dealer only item, and I don't want to pull one from the junk-yard. I know I've got to be careful with the heat because the cover is cast aluminum.

[Xophertony]

that timing cover is not quite dealer only. NAPA lists them, but it is in excess of $150.

[Al Hasse]

Apparently it's carried by Parts America (aka Kragen/Checker/Schucks) also, and for the same price. Parts store I normally use said dealer only.

[STEEL]

I had to do that to my 79 T/a right after I bought it, That sucks!

[blue89]

Al, I wouldn't buy a new timing chain cover. You can use any 86+ 2.8 motor out of a S10 or Camaro for one. Check east-side auto. Should be lots there. Also, there were only 2 different types used on the FWD 2.8 as far as I know. One should be like yours with a timing light based timing marker (flat main seal), and an older magnetic timing guide (slanted main seal). The slanted covers need a slanted front oil pan but are way easier to get off.

Hope that helps.

[Xophertony]

my 86 has the slanted style.

[Al Hasse]

Thanks guys, but I've decide on a new one anyway. That way I know what I have and I don't have to spend half the day (short as they are now) at the junkyard pulling one of a beat up motor (though the cover may be perfect). Looks like Saturday is going to be the only nice day we have this weekend and I want to spend it putting the car together, not scrounging for parts. Pricey, yes, but still less than having some garage do it for me.

BTW, do I need to use an installation tool for the harmonic balancer, or can I use a block of wood with a mallet?

[Sellmanb]

[Al Hasse]

That's what I was thinking too. Was hard enough using the puller, every turn of the wrench on the center bolt wold turn the motor over (I forgot to takae the car out of neutral )

[Xophertony]

i would recommend using a block and mallet at least for a few hits, if you only get a few threads engaged on the bolt you can strip your crank threads. a guy on TGO (TomP, the 60*v6 guru) stripped his crank and had to weld his balancer back on. i always use a rubber malled until i can get proper thread engagement, then use an air gun

[blue89]

I agree. I usually tap mine in with a big hammer straight on the balancer until its down. That would just suck to strip the threads out

[Al Hasse]

Thank you, that's the direction I was leaning. Didn't want to buy another tool I'll hardly use.

[Twilightoptics]

Hammertime.