Need help removing lower timing chain cover

I've been working on changing out my timing chain and so far everything has gone fine. However, now I'm having rough time getting the lower timing cover loose so I can remove it. The crankshaft pulley came off fine, then I removed all the bolts on the timing cover. I even completly removed the waterpump just to make sure there were no bolts there to hang it up. I also made sure I removed the four head bolts that connected into the lower chain cover. But the cover won't budge. I'm sorta freaked out about using something to pry it off. I don't want to screw up anything.

Anybody have any ideas on what to do? I sure don't.

Thanks, Tony

Reply to
PILKINGTONT
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if you have a timing chain why do you need to replace it? I thought that was the purpose of the chain versus the belt...

in article snipped-for-privacy@mb-m26.news.cs.com, PILKINGTONT at snipped-for-privacy@cs.com wrote on 12/11/03 8:48 PM:

Reply to
Roland Thai

It's glued on with silicon sealer, you're going to have to pry it off to break the seal. Some of these have a cover bolt that comes in from the back side i.e. it goes through the block and treads into the cover. Also depending on the model, the oil pump hangs down into the pan and requires it be removed as well.

Reply to
Steve

The Chains look fine, however, the chain guides are screwed up and the chain doesn't work correctly.

Reply to
PILKINGTONT

Mine is a 1997 GA16DE. I've already removed the oil pan and part that hangs down into the pan. That made the access to the timing cover much easier. According to everything have read on my model, there doesn't appear to be a bolt coming from the block. I guess then I just need to pry it off like you said. Any suggestion on which tool would work best.

Reply to
PILKINGTONT

In design, yes that is the idea. But in practice many chain engines have problems arount the 120K miles point, mostly broken chain guides.

Reply to
Steve

Big screw driver! I ussually start by prying between the cover and the lower part of the block at the bottom of the cover.

Reply to
Steve

Thanks for the tip Steve.

I took another good look and found a bolt that I missed. It was buried just above where the thermostate housing goes in. Once I got that out, I stuck my big screw driver up there and it popped right off.

It looks like my idler pulley is pretty screwed up. The teeth for the upper chain are brocken off and pretty worn down. Does the pulley have a bearing or bushing in the middle of it? Also, is the bolt supposed to come out of the pulley when you take it off, or is it part of the pulley. I got the bolt off from the block, but can't get it out of the pulley. I guess I'll have to take off the cam gears to get the top chain off.

Tony....

Reply to
PILKINGTONT

Bushing.

Yep, before you do anything else, -mark- everything with paint dots as some of the aftermarket chain kits don't have any marks on anything. Makes life less complex later.

Reply to
Steve

I found a pretty big mess in there once I got the cover off. The idler sprocket was pretty darn screwed up. Found most of the sprocket's teeth in the oil pan when I removed it. The top chains look like they may have jumped a few links, (Don't ask me how), so I don't know if anything is where it's supposed to be in terms of alignment. I'm also wondering if I might have a bent valve or two since the pistons and valves got out of sync when the idler sprocket quit moving the upper chain. The pistons kept moving, but not the valves -- not good I'm sure.

I'm thinking about going ahead and just taking the head off and getting a valve job while I'm at it. Might save me some grief later when I put it back together only to discover it has a bent valve and have to tear it apart again.

Reply to
PILKINGTONT

Yep probably a very good idea as you aren't that far away at this point.

I'd be thinking about looking at a rod bearing or two if there is a bunch of trash in the pan. Sometimes with certain oil filters (non-nissan), they go into "bypass" when the engine is cold and can pass that garbage through the bottom end. Seems like frams are the worst about that with their "micro filtration".

Reply to
Steve

chop response!

Reply to
yd25in2minds

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