I think im pretty much screwed on this one, but ill ask anyways. I was grinding off the end the bolt that goes through the water pump and through the timing cover (the bolt was also holding down an ac pulley bracket which I was trying to remove...I couldn't get the bolt out because the fan assembly was in the way...so Instead of taking off the fan, I decided to grind the bolt apart...please don't ask how I planned to get a new bolt back in the hole...I had a bit to drink while I was working on this project) ...but anyways the end of the bolt shot into the hole when I was grinding it and somehow threaded or jammed itself - it is all the way into the timing cover where the threading startsr. If you are looking at the engine from the front of the truck, it is the top right hand bolt hole. My question is, do I have to take off the whole damn timing cover? Can I just thread the hole in front of where the bolt is stuck and use a shorter bolt? How hard is it to take off the timing cover?

 

Well, I read your post about ten times! And then I was going for a beer!

I think maybe a magnetic screw driver or something that you can magnetize that will fit into the hole just maybe it will come out. If not start your tear down.

Kevin Bigwin

 

Yeah time to start the tear down. anything else I should do why ive got the thing all taken apart? The engine is out of a 64 f100 and is the original engine with 85,000 miles on it. replace the timing chain? what is the correct color for the water pump and timing cover? I think Ill get these things painted while I have the chance.

 

If it was me, I would replace the front seal for the crankshaft while you have the timing cover off. The old one is probably hard and will leak. Check how much deflection is in the timing chain. If it is easy to squeeze it together it is worn/stretched. It would be wise to replace it with a new double roller type before it gets too sloppy and jumps a tooth.

I look at this way, if I don't replace those parts while I have it apart I may be sorry later. If I do replace the parts I will never be sorry I did, and they will last a long time.

 

what needs to come off to take off this cover...so far it seems to me that i need to take off the harmonic balancer, the fuel pump, and a motor mount. do I need to take the oil pan off too? i can't say that i want to do any of this....would it be a terrible fix if i just threaded that bolt hole before the sheared off bolt and used a shorter bolt?

 

Drop the oil pan, pull the fuel pump, remove the radiator for access to pull the crank pulley. Carefull pulling the crank pulley, it is cast iron and can crack it you don't use the proper puller.

I did this once when I replaced my water pump. Pulled the timing cover to replace the front seal.

 

Remove the center bolt in the front motor mount. Lift the engine slightly to remove the motor mount.

I am having trouble uploading these posts.

 

Check the wear grove and rubber sleeve for condition on the ballancer. I would deffinately replace the timing chain and gears. Little warning, timing on a y block is like no other, that I know of, although there are probably are others. Timing marks are to the drivers side at 3 O'clcock, 12 links apart. count the links, mark with yellow marker, or something easily seen, before you install, so you can see you've got it right, once it's together. I would also mark the sprockets the same way. This really is not that hard to do, and you don't have to pull the pan. I would take the truck to the car wash, use degreaser on the engine, especially on the whole front area, let it soak. Then blast it as clean as possible, from top, and bottom. If it's still not clean, The, I suggest, a small wire bush, a gallon of mineral spirits from Walmart, a coffee can, a long bristle parts cleaning brush, a parts scraper, and a scredriver, you don't ever expect to use again. Is this neccesary, if you don't want to pull the pan, I think so. What you will have to do is, pull the water pump off, then pull the timing cover off, of both the pan and front of the block. not an easy thing to do. The pan is a big catch basin for all the grit and trash that you drop into it. Now, befor you try this, let me warn you of the problems involved. On the bottom of the timing cover, there are alignment dowels, for the block. If, you can manage to get the timing cover off, without, damaging the pan gasket, you will be fortunate. Whe you buy the timing cover set, for replacing the timing cahin and gears, it comes with a gasket, that fits the short front section of the timing cover. Now, imagine if you will, trying to compress this gasket, cork being what it is, while trying to shove the timing cover back over those dowels I mentioned before. You have to compress the cork, enough to get by the dowels, and get the cork to either slide back with the cover , or the cover to slide back over the cork. Which nightmare, would you prefer dreaming about? Should you like other other choices, here are a couple. Your lucky, the old cork doesn't break, you install silicone, just before puting on cover, and everthing goes back on like clockwork. If this happens in your world, you don't live in mine. The other suggestion, is formagscet, which you apply liberaly, but use your head about it. let it set up for awhile, then carefully, install the cover. One other thing you might try, before you remove the cover, loosen some of the block pan bolts, while taking out the cover pan bolts, and try and work the pan loose from the cover. What the guys aren't telling you is, that droping the pan is a snap, but puting it back on is another, maybe smaller problem. This is because of the oil pump, and pickup tube in the pan, that comes out the side of the pan, to the pump. It is difficult to get one of these things to stop leaking, should it start. If you don't get it right the first time it will leak, and it's a sure thing you will have to take it back apart to fix it. Incidently, your block should be black, and so should the timing cover, if I'm not mistaken. Valves covers should be Ford red. I think that's the right red anyway. I'm unclear, as to which bolt it is you cut, but if that cover has not been off for 85K miles, it would not harm a thing to do what you suggest, but it sure would be tacky, and the truck most likely woud run a lot better, with a new timing chain. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Rich

 

Well, all of these posts on the effort required to get the timing cover off pretty much inspired me not to do it. Just more work than I wanted to do right now - just wanted to get the old ac crap off. I don't even know if the engine runs - just bought the truck and it hadn't been ran for 2 years. i has no tranny, flywheel, or clutch, so im going to hook those up and then see if the engine runs. As for now, I got it all put back together with my tacky bolt. the one I cut was on the top right corner holding in the water pump - a really long bolt going all the way through the timing cover. the tacky bolt fix is pretty good though, so it shouldn't leak or anything.

 

hi, they do make left hand drill bits, you might get lucky and the bolt will break loose. i've already got one out by loosening it with a small center punch and working it out with a pick. have fun, wayne.

 

I would do the same in that case just to see if I could get it to run before investing a lot of time and work on a repair. Who knows, it may need to be rebuilt or you just might get lucky. Have you tried to turn the crankshaft by hand with the spark plugs out to see if turns freely?

 

What have you done with all the air conditioning parts you've taken off?

Rich

 

We all knew what you were going to do, to start with, including you. Anyone, that would take the bizare approach you took, to removing the bolt, isn't going to go to the work required to do this job. You took about 30 minutes to turn a real 30 minute job, into a 5 to 10 hour job, when you should have just gone ahead, and enjoyed your drinking, and put down your tools. Those of us, that drink, may have seen these symtoms before. Thow we may not admit, to having seen it close up and personal. It's usually noticable, from about 30 feet away, by the black clouds, thunder, blue smoke, foul language, flying wrenches, children and wives making themselves scarce, cause daddies in one of his moods. In your case, it most likely wasn't that bad. I just might have screwed up a set of heads yesterday, that I just had 200$ worth of work done on this week. Now that is one of those things, that makes me want to throw a tantrum, except, all I can do is beat myself mentallyabout the shoulders, and hope for the best, and wait for the verdict Monday, when I dan talk to someone about what I did. Don't ask, I don't even want to tell you. Far worse, and I wasn't drinking. Just old, with old eyes and a poor attention span. Went thru 4 sets of 390 heads to get one set of good ones. I am nearly sick.

 

hahaha...64 f100 has got me all figured out for sure. I think I spent more time thinking about doing the job the right way than I did doing the whole job the wrong way, but of course I still did it the wrong way. You were right about my case not being that bad too...I would never throw my tools around - not because I don't get crazy, but because I can never find my tools in the first place..haha. The funny thing is, even if I was not drinking, I would probably have removed the bolt in the same way. But on the upside I now have everything put back together, and it all looks good.