hey got the kit ( pan, pick up, timing cover, seal, dipstick, gaskets, do i need to use a gasket sealer?) I need to accomplish this. question do I need a special tool to remove the harmonic balancer to switch out the timing cover? also the seal that came with the new timing cover , does that just pop in with a rubber mallet? any thing special I should know before I start this? Also can I check compression by turning the motor over by hand? The timing cover is just meteal not painted or chromed, how can I paint that? do I prime it? what primer, and what paint can I paint it with?
You need a harmonic balancer puller .... you can borrow them or buy them cheap. Gasket sealer is helpful if you are installing on an engine in the car to keep the gaskets from moving during install. I think you are also supposed to seal the area where the cork gasket and rubber gaskets meet. You can carefully tap the new seal on the timing cover ... just be careful. Just clean the timing cover and use engine paint .. no primer needed. I don't think you can check compression by hand turning ... a couple of spins with a starter and a compression guage will probably work better.
You will need a balancer puller to get it off. Can be rented at some parts store's. The seal in the cover should be put in with a seal driver but you can take a flat piece of plate and use a ball pien hammer to drive it down. Be sure and fill the seal with vasoline first so that the seal tension spring does not come out when driving it down. I always have used Krylon high temp. spray paint on the cover without primer. I also paint the inside of the cover with red glyptal electrical paint to aid faster oil return to the pan etc. but is not necessary for most applications. Use a good sealer like Copper Coat, on the gaskets and when putting the pan end gaskets on, put a dab of silicone on the corners where they meet the pan gasket. Last but not least, I always run a tap in all the bolt holes and make sure the cover and water pump bolts are clean and then put some anti-sieze compound on the threads(pipe dope works well for this). To get an accurate compression reading, the engine should be spun over several times with the starter. Hope this helps.
cool , now about cleaning up and painting the block, With valve covers on, and intake and exaust manifolds off and timing cover off , what all do i need to protect while cleaning up, and repainting? what is a good degreaser? My valave covers are dove gray and In really good shape underneath all the grease. am putting a chrome oil pan on, and the dip stick is a a billit blue in color so i thought I'd do the timing cover in blue as well. to be different. then go with a chrome aircleaner.
I use easy off oven cleaner it works for me. When you put your chrome oil pan on make sure to ruff up the lip before installing the gasket. They like to leak if you don't seal them and ruff them up well! Good Luck
I warm the block with lamps and a big torch - one of the propane weed burner torches will heat the block enough to get any moisture out of it so the paint will stick. (you do have to clean and rinse it first though)
