The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Timing gear cover

I am in the process of removing my 1956,235 timing gear cover. I find that the bottom 2 bolts hold a clip on the cover and must be removed from behind or inside the oil pan. When I remove the pan and lossen these 2 bolts will I be taking anything else apart up in there? I thought I'd ask someone before I mess something up. Thanks.

No, the only thing those bolts attach is the timing cover. Some people drill out the threads in the cover and drill/tap the front plate for a larger thread so the cover can be removed the next time without dropping the pan, but the gears last so long it's hardly worth the effort, IMHO.
Jerry

I would agree with that Jerry. When it's time to pull the timing cover it's usually time to pull down the pan also.
Also SPL, make note that the bolts are locked in place by tab on a lock plate.
Denny G

all I know is I'm tapping the holes in mine, I had a cam go bad, and all I needed to do is pull the cam what a pain in the ***, why some one thought that would be a good idea is completely beyond me. Its things like that that make me very leery of the word "ENGINEERED". Just what exactly does that mean?

Sorry guy but I just don't see where dropping the pan is all that much of a problem. You don't even need to disconnect an linkage or anything other than the throttle return spring. Seems to me pulling the radiator, side cover, lifters and vibration damper would offer more of a challenge than dropping the pan. Changing a cam in any engine has never been one of the simpler tasks in engine work.
Never did hear the logic behind why they did it that way, but I'm sure there must have been a good reason cuz it was done that way for a loooong time on a lot of engines.
Of course we're much better engineers than any of those that were employed at General Motors in the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's, right guys?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I can tell you that up until 1955 first series the mains had shims in them which the factory expected you to pull from time to time. Having the bolts come in from the front would make a simple job a lot of work.

Well, that's certainly one logical explaination Dave, never thought of it that way.
DG

whole lot more trouble than removing two bolts. even if you were removing shims it's still just two bolts, that have to come out anyway.

Brokenhead, The problem with the bolts going in from the front is you can hardly see or get to the them once the balancer is on.

in either case I'm putting the bolts in from the outside as I have no shims to do anything with. And in my situation, it was incredibly heart rending to realize I had to remove the pan as well, since it had originally began as a simple pull and rebuild the head. The head was cracked (hence brokenhead)The fella at the machine shop told me he had one that wasn't cracked, and all I had to do was get the OK from the fella that it belonged to and I could have it for what he owed, which was $80. As soon as he got permission from the guy the price went to $125, and as I didn't know then what I know now I found it was actually a 1936 206 head,(which I still have, it is in beautiful shape) which won't fit, and the [censored] had no interest in buying it back, then I had to get the rocker arms and shaft bushed and repaired. then it turns out I had to pull the cam, then I had to get the cam journals cut down .010 since my CORE had undersize journals, and could not get my core charge back. I was only down at the other house on weekends, which mostly meant only saturdays, having to do all the yard work as well. It would have been much, much easier to have been able to just remove 2 bolts...in this case it made a simple job much more difficult

Aint working on old trucks fun?

oh don't get me wrong, it's fun. I just din't need that at that particular point. And apparently no one needs a 1936 206 head, least of all me. oh well...

An absolute pleasure Charlie compared to working on a new one. That is if you do your home work and study the manuals so you know what you’re in for before twisting a wrench.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL