460 timing chain cover

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Hello,

I need to replace timing cover gasket on '89 F350 7.5L engine due to coolant leak coming from upper right area of cover. It started leaking after I changed out the water pump (bearing failure). Is there a “how to”, or step-by-step on the www somewhere? Even an engine schematic, or blow-up might help.



Thanks

2

It may be necessary to drop the oil pan to gain clearance to remove the front cover.

Remove the power steering bracket.

Remove the bolt and washer that retains the harmonic balancer to the crankshaft. Using the proper puller, remove the harmonic balancer from the crankshaft.

Loosen the oil pan bolts and remove the bolts that attach the front cover to the oil pan. Push the oil pan down.

Remove the front cover attaching hardware and remove the front cover.

Now, if you’re going through all the trouble of removing the front cover, it would be a good idea to install a new timing chain set and a new front cover oil seal.

Tester

3

Thanks for the quick info. I have removed the harmonic balancer, but am still left with another part on the crankshaft (see attached picture), outside the cover. Can I gently pry this part off the crank, or is another puller needed? I do have a few oil pan bolts that will have to be removed.

Thanks again,
                Ed
4

You’ll probably have to use a puller on that part also.

One thing I would advise on the cover leak. If this leak has been going on for a while it’s very possible the aluminum has been eroded away. If so, a new gasket will not fix it and you will have to do one of two things.
Buy a new or good used cover.
If the pitting is not too bad the cover can be surfaced at an automotive machine shop just like a cylinder head.

The covers on the small block Fords were enough of a problem (age and rotten coolant) that a local salvage yard here even sells new ones.
Be sure to inspect the cover mating surfaces very closely.

5

Thanks for the tip on the cover pitting. I had to replace the water pump backing plate due to pitting around the water inlet.

6

That’s a balance weight on the nose of the crank. A externally balanced engine. Pretty crude stuff and not very effective. Spray it with PB Blaster and it will slide off with a jaw puller.

Hopefully, that engineer is now designing paint shakers.

7

460s used those for years, there’s nothing really wrong with the design. The placement of the main bearings necessitates having an external weight.

8

All of the small block Fords are balanced by their flexplates or flywheels and by using one of two harmonic balancers; either a 28 ounce or 50 ounce balancer. As far as I know there is nothing wrong with the design at all and it’s only a problem if someone starts mixing and matching 60s/70s stuff with early 80s and up.

9

The problem with that design is that the compensating weight is too far removed from the center of the crank, where the problem is. But it works, sort of…I bet there is another big lump on the flex-plate or converter also.

10

It makes machining a crankshaft much quicker and cheaper, that is why they do it this way. I doubt you will see this used in an engine with a redline higher than 5000rpm…The 460 never sees 4000…

360 Chrysler’s have a big lump on their converters while 318’s do not. People who switch these or buy the wrong part wind up with a paint shaker…

11

Thank you all for the added info on my truck. If anything worth updating occurs I will add it to the thread.