Summary
The objective of this procedure is to show you how to remove the oil pan and timing set. Remove the oil pan, balancer, timing cover and timing set, checking for stretch on the timing chain.
Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Remove the oil pan and timing set.
Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:
- Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
- Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
- Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
- Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
- Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators
If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check
- Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.
Points to note
- Keep any evidence of engine failure intact for diagnosis of engine failure.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Remove oil pan
To get to the rotating assembly, which consists of the crankshaft, connecting rods, and pistons, the oil pan has to be removed. If the engine had problems, there will probably be a layer of oil sludge and possibly metal particles or other foreign objects in the bottom of the oil pan. So that all this evidence is kept intact, don't rotate the engine block upside down yet.
Remove the bolts holding the oil pan, or sump, onto the block and store them in a bin or bag. Leave two bolts in opposite corners threaded in about half way. Then insert a putty knife of gasket scraper between the block and the pan and start to pry it loose.
When you separate the pan enough to rest on the catch bolts, support the pan from the bottom and remove those remaining two bolts. Pull the pan away carefully, working around any obstructions like the oil pump or baffles.
- Remove balancer, if still installed
If the engine still has its harmonic balancer attached because the balancer removal tool kept spinning the crankshaft, now is the time to remove it. Insert a wooden hammer handle, or something similar, to stop the crankshaft from turning and use the balancer removal tool to pull the damper off the shaft.
- Remove timing cover
Remove the bolts holding the timing cover on the end of the block. If there is not enough space around the bolts to use a socket wrench, then use an open-ended wrench. Put the bolts into a labeled bin or bag, and use the gasket scraper again to break the seal and remove the cover.
- Check chain stretch
Before you remove the timing chain, check whether it has stretched beyond its specification. The manual will tell you the maximum stretch allowed, which is expressed as the amount of flex that acceptable. Measure the flex with a small ruler, and replace the chain if it is beyond specification. Some chains are so worn it will be obvious they cannot be reused.
- Remove timing set
Some engines only have one bolt in the upper gear and then both the upper and lower gears slide off with the chain as one piece by hand. Others have three bolts connecting the upper gear to the camshaft and then the upper gear and chain come off separate from the lower gear. On these types of engines the lower gear is pressed on to the crank, so use a gear puller to remove it.
