How to removed timing cover on 4.0??

[Cutlass84]

Hey everyone, long time reader, first time poster.

I am working on a friends '01 discovery and am having trouble getting the timing cover off?? Does the oil pump have to be disassembled and or the oil pan removed? The studs on the bottom of the cover are preventing me from tilting the timing cover out far enough to get it off the dowel pins.

I just finished doing new head gaskets/head bolts on this motor and still have a bad internal water leak. I swear a head gasket job is easier than removing the front cover on this darn motor.

[bartell]

Originally Posted by Cutlass84

Hey everyone, long time reader, first time poster.

I am working on a friends '01 discovery and am having trouble getting the timing cover off?? Does the oil pump have to be disassembled

and or the oil pan removed? The studs on the bottom of the cover are preventing me from tilting the timing cover out far enough to get it off the dowel pins.[/quote]

Stop please.

They are not dowel pins. They are studs. When the switch happened to the GEMS timing cover, the three bolts that came up through the sump andf thread into the timing cover bottom were changed to three studs coming down from the timing cover bottom through the sump. You will see three nuts at the front of the sump that thread onto those studs.

What you are doing now, by tilting the cover, is either cracking the timing cover (800-900$) or the sump (400-600$) so I would back off for a little rest and a cup of tea or a beer depending on your country of origin.

Undo the nuts on the studs. However, I am not sure that will allow you to
remove the cover anyway (as you will still have to pull it up) and I am not sure it would help you if you could (depending on which model you have).

I think I can remember 3 different timing covers from GEMS on. One has the oil pick up pipe attached to the pump cover and that will have to be removed. That might require the removal of the sump (which is not difficult.).

Have you removed the crankshaft bolt yet? If not, how do you intend to do that?

James

[Cutlass84]

Thanks for the reply.

I have the nuts off the studs on the underside (sump side) of the cover. You say they should thread out? I didn't try that because I saw no provisions for removal of said studs aside from doubling up nuts.

I have all the fasteners removed from the oil pan, but I didn't want to pop it off yet unless it was necessary so I came in here to ask first.

The harmonic balance and bolt have been removed already, I did that with a 1/2 drive air impact. Surprisingly the balancer was just slip fit, which may be a problem? (or is that typical of these motors?)

[DailyDrivenTJ]

I am finishing this job right now in my garage.

You need to remove the oil pan to finally remove the timing cover.

Things I have take off to take off the front cover IIRC:

Fan clutch, fan pulley
Oil Pan (you will need to undo several brackets that holds the two hard lines together in 3 different places.)
Harmonic balancer
70mm idler pulley (idler pulley on passenger side)
Oil pick up tube
Hard line attached to the cover

The oil pump is part of the front cover. I have rebuilt mine with new gears since I am already there.

You don't need to separate the water pump from the cover, unless you want to change the gasket.

Mine came off without a fight. If yours is putting up a fight, then make sure you got everything loosened and out of the way.

I am also changing the front crank seal.

[bartell]

Originally Posted by Cutlass84

Thanks for the reply.

I have the nuts off the studs on the underside (sump side) of the cover. You say they should thread out?

NO. I didn't say that. I said I had doubts that even witjh the nuts removed from the three studs, you could take off the timing cover as it would require you to pull the cover upward. I suggested you take the sump off. It is easy to take off and remove.

Originally Posted by Cutlass84

T I have all the fasteners removed from the oil pan, but I didn't want to pop it off yet unless it was necessary so I came in here to ask first.

Remove it. As Dailydriver points out, look for the oil pickup tube and brackets.

Originally Posted by Cutlass84

Surprisingly the balancer was just slip fit, which may be a problem? (or is that typical of these motors?)

It is a splined fit. As long as the torque of the crankshaft damper bolt is correct (the highest toque in the engine), There will never be a problem.

You will (at least) need to brace the flywheel to torque that high.

James