engine plate gasket replacement questions.

[solomrus]

hey all.

any chance that the engine plate gasket can be replaced without pulling the camshaft and valvetrain?

looks like a guy could use a puller to pop the crank and the cam sprockets off, then do the plate, and not disturb the top end.

if it's not possible, what do you guys do?

pop v/c, loosen valve lash adjustors, pull pushrods, then lifters, then remove cam?

at this point, i'm willing to do the whole job, just want to stem the leaky FJ-VALDEZ!!!

thanks in advance.

--r

 

[Coolerman]

You SURE it's leaking from the plate, and not just the timing gear cover, or cover seal?

 

[Degnol]

I guess I don't know what you mean by engine plate gasket. Side cover? Yes. Timing cover. Yes, but the balancer has to come off.

Ed

 

[Poser]

I remove the top end, the side cover and the distributor.

 

[Poser]

I guess I don't know what you mean by engine plate gasket.

The engine end plate is between the front cover and engine block. It is what the cam gear oiler threads into and also provides the front sealing surface for the oil pan gasket, between it and the #1 main bearing cap.

 

[Coolerman]

Your talking about the cover behind the timing gears as shown right?

 

[solomrus]

yah, it's gotta be the plate gasket. i've pulled the timing cover, straightened out the flange, new gasket, good seal, put it back.

so far i've tried 3 different thread sealers too. just to make sure that i wasn't blowing oil by the two large bolts on the bottom of the cover.

it's dry behind the balancer. so i'm sealed at the lip seal.

ok, when you pull top end, just basically pull the rocker shafts and towers off? lift away as assembly? probably the easiest way to do it.

dizzy is straighforward, as is static timing the lump.

have to move the subaru out of the garage and put the fj in instead. getting kinda cold to do this in the driveway. 8^(

--r

 

[Fast Eddy]

have to move the subaru out of the garage and put the fj in instead. getting kinda cold to do this in the driveway. 8^(

From my point of view, it's probably too cold there to do it in the house.

 

[Poser]

From my point of view, it's probably too cold there to do it in the house.

Sell your truck...

 

[solomrus]

it's not the cold so much...

it's the wind.

is morgan hill norcal or socal? i ask because cold to californian's is entirely relative. 8^)

i totally jest. huge smiley face.

--r

 

[Poser]

ok, when you pull top end, just basically pull the rocker shafts and towers off? lift away as assembly? probably the easiest way to do it.

Curious,


What year/make/engine are you working on? You have not made any mention to that out here....these little bits of information can prove to be relevant from time to time...




Break loose/back off rocker arm adjusters; remove the bolts/nuts that retain the rocker shaft assembly to the cylinder head and lift the rocker shaft assembly strait-up off the cylinder head.

When putting the rocker shaft assembly back onto the studs in the cylinder head, be mindful that the rocker shaft has relieves in it to align it properly with the studs that pass through the rocker stands.

Also, place the push tubes in order front to back with each cylinder along with the cam followers/lifters. At a very minimum, do not mix up the cam followers with their location on the cam where they have been riding already.


Take pictures of your camshaft lobes and post them up.


A Factory Service Manual for the engine is very helpful with these repair procedures.

 

[solomrus]

ah, yeah. true enough.

it's a 77 -40 with a 2f. 8^)

i have a haynes book, which i figure is enough to get thru this project, even if they are kind of vague on some of the procedures.

i'm moreso looking for shortcuts and gotcha's, since i'm used to working on subaru and mistubishi DOHC engines. this 2f is like a big tractor engine in comparison to those.

i was going to bag and tag valvtrain parts as i go along, so as to get everything back where it came from. would be a bad ideal to mix them up, and put followers with the wrong lobes.

thanks for all the advice guys.

--r

 

[67azcruizr]

I have heard when these engine end plates get bent they are not worth trying to make leak proof. Any chance yours is not straight?

 

[solomrus]

i'd say there is a pretty good chance of that.

i just bought the rig, so i don't know most of the history of it. the p/o and friend had tried to get it sealed up, but no luck. i do not know if they went in to the engine plate to make sure the gasket is in good shape.

i ordered the fel-pro kit this time, with the end plate gasket, the crank seal, and the timing gasket. should be in tomorrow morning at oh-oh-oh-oreilly's.

i'll lay it out on my mill, and tram it. see if there is a serious warp or something. that's if nothing obvious shows up with a straightedge.

--r

 

[solomrus]

Sell your truck...

LOL!!!

--r

 

[solomrus]

what do you want to see on the cam?

more pics here.

Nebraska-Subaru.Com Gallery :: FJ-40

--r

 

[Pighead]

Sometimes, that little oil squirter gets threaded in too far, pushing the plate away from the block, causing the leak.

 

[solomrus]

that seems logical. i'll make sure to set it up flush with the back of the plate(if it's not) when i re-install.

what do you guys do to get remove the staking on those screws? i'm about ready to get a carbide cutting burr out and grind the bloody things out.

--r

 

[solomrus]

it's back together, and running.

once i get a chance to warm it fully, i will re-set the lash, and that ought to do it.

poser, i kicked myself when i remembered why the cam was such a pain in the d*ck to pull... all i have to say: FUEL PUMP.


--r