thanks you guys for the quick responses. I will take the pan off later today or tomorrow, its just a pain in the [censored] and ill need a new gasket etc. As far as for the #5 piston bearings, i cleaned them thoroughly before putting them back on, i don't think there could be any metal shavings in there after that even though i didnt buff the bearings with sandpaper. It really makes me nervous though and discouraged, do you guys think itll be in good shape for at least 15-20 years before another rebuild?
As for the bolt, i think its critical to have them go from the inside-out into the timing cover hence they need to be torqued to the cap (i think it provides some sort of extra stability).
