3.8L Timing Cover Removal

Our 2000 3.8L developed a leak around the upper left corner (right between the Steering Pump and Y Pipe Tube inlet to the Water Pump) about where the Timing Cover and Water Pump meets with the #1 Cylinder Head and Intake Manifold!

The leak got really bad and now water gushes out even without the engine running. So I priced all the parts needed and went to read the Haines Manual on the repair procedure to become familiar with the process. But the manual warns about the engine having to be taken out of the vehicle to be able to remove the timing cover!

Has anybody been able to get the cover removed with the engine in place?

I don't have the money to pay a mechanic to do the repair and the van cannot be driven any longer, so any help would be greatly appreciated... thank you in advance.

Just did mine on my 96 about a month ago. It does not require removal of the engine, You do have to remove the front engine mount nut and jack the engine up about 2 inches.

You have to double nut the studs that go thru the cover into the block and unscrew them from the block so you can remove them while they remain in the cover. Do not forget to put them back in the cover on reinstallation as 3 of the 5 cannot be installed later. 1 of my studs was frozen to the cover and several soaks with penatrating oil and heat inbetween I was finaly able to rock it about 1/4 turn, after 1/2hr of rocking I was able to turn it a full turn and remove it.

Only other tough thing is removing tha crank shaft balancer, when you try to remove the bolt the engine turns. I braced a breaker bar on the frame and bumped the starter, the engine turns in the direction needed to break the bolt loose. Just be carefull that the bar does not fly off and hit you or anything else. You will then need a puller to pull the balancer off the end of the crankshaft, make sure it is the type that pulls from the pulley bolts and not the jaw type that pulls the outside of the balancer or you will break the balancer.

I would recomend that you remove the balancer as the first thing you do then mark the position of the cam syncro rotor and body so you can put it back with the proper timing. Do NOT turn the engine after you mark the syncro or you will have trouble geting it back in time.

Everything else is just nuts and bolts but I would think about replacing the water pump while I was in there.

Took me about 7hrs to do but I was in no rush to get it done.

I'm facing the same task...have a small coolant leak somewhere on the front cover. I've done the task before ... a real knuckle buster! This time I may lower the subframe on 4x4's and move it as far as it will to the left to get more wrench room.

That sounds like a really good idea on the studs kevink1955... but now there are also significant changes from a '96 to a ''00 model both with engine and body. So I don't know if that's the only issue I will encounter if I try the repair my self.

Did you have to remove the water pump from the timing cover or does it all come out as one?
On the crank shaft balancer the Haines manual suggests removing the starter motor and jamming the fly wheel with a flat lever or screw driver

I can't remeber if the manual says that the cam syncro rotor has to be removed or not!

Did you have to remove and replace the Oil Pan Gasket as well?

I'm facing the same task...have a small coolant leak somewhere on the front cover. I've done the task before ... a real knuckle buster! This time I may lower the subframe on 4x4's and move it as far as it will to the left to get more wrench room.

That's how mine started... When I went to trace it it dissapeared, no trace of it, so I kept running it and adding water every few weeks. Then it came back and seemed to be the water pump.

Upon closer inpection it looked to be the rubber seal on the "Y" Pipe so I replaced it but leak continued. Scratching my head i did a pressure test and could not figure where the water was leaking from!

That's when I stumbled on the gasket defect on the timing cover, so don't wait till it gets worse. If I would have figured it out sooner i would've tried a stop leak product and called it a day! I don't plan on holding on to mine any longer, just needed it to hold on a little bit more!

Not sure what changed from 96 to 2000 but the 96 manual also says to remove the engine.

I pulled the cover with the water pump attatched.

The syncro is in the top of the cover on all 3.8's I have seen so it has to come out, it is driven off a sprial gear on the front of the cam and also drives the oil pump.There is no way you could put it back and keep it in time.

I had no problem using the starter to bump the bolt loose

The oil pan gasket I purchased (fel pro) included a tube of black silicone to seal the cover to the pan, the pan gasket does not extend under the cover it only has silicone at the front. There are 2 bolts thru the pan into the cover that need to be removed.

Loosen the water pump pulley bolts before you take the belt off, the belt will keep the pulley from turning. The pulley will not come off on the 96 as it hits the frame but comes right off after you jack the engine up a few inches

thanks again... it does sound like the same procedure regardless of year model. I gotta find a place that would loan me the puller for the crank pulley. I'm also replacing the Water Pump to save me a headache down the road if the old water pump decides to break right after everything is put together. I hate having to spend the extra $80-$100 dollars but thats the price for peace of mind I guess!

I have a cheap 12V impact wrench that may or may not remove the crank pulley bolt, depends on the torque value! It does remove the nuts on the wheels which are always set at a 100 pounds.

The problem I have using the starter to bump the bolt loose is that I may not be able to mark the pulley and syncro for re-assembly later... how did you get around that?

Also, how did you manage with the Power Steering Pump and hardware? mine is right above the belt tensioner on top of the engine, don't know if your is the same!

I would not sleep well if I planned to use the starter motor to loosen the crank bolt. Sounds like a way to hurt somebody or something. And I also never use a chain wrench, or the like, on the aux belt pulley surface. IIRC, my '99 has a hole, a "spoke-hole", that allowed me to stick a rod thru ... preventing the crank from turning as I loosened the bolt.

Or ... and I just did this on a Volvo 2.5T... find TDC-compression stoke on some convenient cyl (I would choose #4 on this engine), turn the crank back (or forward, CCW or CW ... depends if you are loosening or tightening.) a quarter rev. And then stuff the top of the cyl with braided cord that is small enought to fit down through the spark hole. Pack the cord in place. A plastic soda straw will help you place the cord down against the piston. Feed the cord down thru the straw. On the Volvo engine I stuffed in over 25 feet of new 1/4" braided cord that I bought at Home Depot. Really pack the cyl full of cord. The cord will cushion and stop the piston as you loosen, or tighten, the crank bolt. And this is a safe process as long as the cord is packed in very tight.

I have never needed a puller to remove a crank pulley. A little WD-40 maybe, and then just hand-force. But my luck may run out on the next engine ... who knows!

I would not use an impact on the balancer bolt, the outer ring of the balancer is mounted in rubber and the impact may cause the rubber to slip. I damaged an oldsmobile 3.8 balancer that way.

On my 96 the tensioner is at the rear of the engine and the PS pump is top front. Some have said you need to pull the PS pulley (a special puller required) to access the mounting bolts. I was able to remove the bolts with the pulley still on the pump, it was slow going as in 1/8 turn flip the wrench 1/8 turn flip again.

As far as keeping the syncro in time, if you pull the balancer first you will not turn the engine again during the rest of the process then mark and pull the syncro. In reassembly first install the syncro with your marks lined up then reinstall the balancer. Removing the balancer was the only time I had to turn the engine.

Yes the bar and bump the starter is scarey but if you have a remote start switch and go directly to the solinoid you can take it in very small bumps.

Do not try to use the timing teeth on the balancer to stop it from rotating, they are soft and if you deform 1 you will have problems

....I would not use an impact on the balancer bolt.....

Me neither! In fact, I don't use an impact on anything ... don't own one. Does one use the starter motor to also tighten the crank bolt? (That would be a trick.)

After one uses the rope-a-dope method, I believe it becomes the method of choice. Allows one to use a bar and socket to loosen the bolt, and a torque wrench to tighten. (Of course, if one happens to have the oil pan off ... a block of wood, or a wooden hammer handle, up against a crank throw ... will allow one to turn the bolt at will.)

I never trust an synchronizer to have been positioned properly. The plastic locating guide-tool can be purchased for less than $10 ... using it, you know the sync is positioned correctly.

About the harmonic balancer portion of the crank pulley ... that part mounted in rubber. It does fail over time, especially if exposed to a lot of oil. If one has a very high mileage engine ...or one that has seen a rough life, you might consider replacing the crank pulley. Its a bit pricey, but it does not last forever. I have already purchased one for replacement on my 345k mile engine.

If you mark the syncro body and timing cover with a punch mark on each and make good notes of the rotor position it can be done. if it goes back 1 tooth off the rotor will be almost 3/8" off and easy to see it's not where it belongs.

This is assuming that you do not turn the engine and is why I pull the balancer first and reinstall the balancer after I reinstall the syncro, it can be done if your carefull. I have done it twice with no problems at all.

I never trust an synchronizer to have been positioned properly. The plastic locating guide-tool can be purchased for less than $10 ... using it, you know the sync is positioned correctly.

About the harmonic balancer portion of the crank pulley ... that part mounted in rubber. It does fail over time, especially if exposed to a lot of oil. If one has a very high mileage engine ...or one that has seen a rough life, you might consider replacing the crank pulley. Its a bit pricey, but it does not last forever. I have already purchased one for replacement on my 345k mile engine.

Do you have a link for the plastic locating guide-tool for the syncro?

Also my crank pulley was already replaced a few years back and you're right, it is pricey!

Really good points guys...
I'm getting ready to get all the parts I need to get started... I may start doing a partial teardown to save me some time for re-assembly next weekend.

My biggest fear is actually breaking a timing cover stud during removal, that would mess up my day big time..! Which reminds me to ask, how many nuts and what size nuts do I need to double up on the studs?

I just used 1 of the nuts I took off 1 of the studs to double nut the others, the stud that was frozen in the cover was so tight that the double nuts striped the end of the stud. I forced a 5/16 USS nut on as the last nut and using alternating heat and penertrating oil I was able to rock it loose.

Had to go to ford for the new studs and that was another ordeal, the original dealer told me he did not have them so I hit 2 other dealers. They did not have them but their computers said the original dealer I went to had 12 of them so back to the original dealer who it turns out was looking up the wrong part. He had them in a package of 4 so I reused 1 of the original ones, other than the one that broke they could have all been reused.

When reinstalling the studs some of them go into the water jacket and require sealer, the new studs had some red sealer already on them on the reused one I used #2 permatex

hmmm... scary stuff...!

Ford's "official" service procedure

Ford's "official" service procedure

Thanks scubacat unfortunatelly that procedure applies only to the 3.0L V6 engine. The 3.8L V6 is much more difficult to work with within the engine compartment.

Sorry about that! The funny thing is that I read through that and was surprised it didn't mention lifting the engine anywhere. I have a 2002 which only has a 3.8L so I just didn't put it all together until you pointed it out to me. In my defense, there is no section for the 3.8L in the 2000 manual for some reason. It has instructions for the water pump but nothing on pulling off the timing cover.

Here's the 2001 3.8L instructions which SHOULD be the same. The water pump instructions for the 3.8L '99 and '01 are the same, so that's a good sign.

Had to split into 2 files to post.

Ok, I don't understand why it posted like that. The "thumbnail" is part 1, and then the link below that is part 2.

Boy, that project looks like just a ton of fun. I sure hope mine doesn't leak; that's a bit much for my current level and toolset. I did the lower intake gasket and I thought that was pretty good but jacking up the engine and working in that tight space without breaking anything makes me extremely nervous.

Good Post scubacat

The 3.8 procedure makes it look easy but has several notes to see other sections of the manual and some of them are critical IE: cam syncro

They also say "remove crankshaft pulley" and never mention the balancer

I do like the engine lifting fixture and hoist but a block of wood and jack on the oil pan works for me but I would never try to jack the 5.8 inches they say. That may be the reason I had to pull the cover with the studs still in it.

This job can be done in the driveway with hand tools most of us already have except the balancer puller.

Ed Strong, I forgot to mention that there is an almost hidden bolt on the timing cover. It's just above the oil filter mounting and is a metric allen head type. If you happen to have a security screw tool set (about 20 bits in a rubber case) there is a bit in there that is for a allen type bolt with a security pin, it fits perfectly in this bolt.

The puller is 10 bucks at harbor freight (or a free loan at any auto parts store).

I can upload any of those references but most of those have been covered in this forum somewhere already. I believe "crankshaft pulley" is just another name for harmonic balancer. (In other words, same thing.). I've taken off the crank bolt via the starter bump method many times on my camry; has never been a problem.

Thanks again for posting those scubacat...
I like the fact that this procedure does not require removal of the Oil Pan! But how do I get around removing the Oil Pickup Tube from the Timing Cover without removing the Oil Pan???

Following that procedure, honestly I would rather try (and I mean TRY, not force) to lift the engine 5 inches first, rather than risk breaking a stud! How long are this sucker studs anyway. It also does not mention removing the Exhaust "Y" Pipe and Cat Converters, So I don't think you could lift 5 inches without tearing something up!

I wonder if the torque values are the same for a '00 and '01?!? Anyway I can cross refence between Haines manual and those you posted.

Also there's mention elsewhere of a Crankshaft balancer/pulley install tool, is that one necesary? I priced it and seems to be pretty expensive to only be used a couple of times

You can rent the puller from autozone/advance/oreilly or get it from harbor freight. This is what I use:

http://www.harborfreight.com/46-piece-bolt-puller-set-37824.html

NEVER use a 2- or 3-jaw puller as you'll risk damaging the pulley. To reinstall, I just push it back on and tighten down the bolt. (maybe a few GENTLE taps with a hammer to a large socket or piece of pipe pressed against the middle.) I've never used any sort of tool for that.

As far as I know, you only have to drop the exhaust if you need to remove the oil pan. It doesn't look to me as though the oil pickup tube attaches to the front cover. If anywhere, step #20 appears to take care of any fasteners that would be holding the tube in. Someone who's done this before would be better off confirming that than I, though, since I have not actually done this.

Ed Strong

The oil pickup is connected to the engine block and connects to the cover thru a passage in the cover, nothing to remove.

The studs are 4 1/2 to 5" long, I still do not know if you could get the cover off without removing them even if you jacked it 5 inches.

Scubacat is correct, you can tap the balancer on a little with a pipe and a hammer so you can pull it on with the bolt. Just go easy on the hammer as you could damage the balancer rubber with the hammer impacts, have done it twice without damage. Also make sure the keyway is properly aligned and it's on far enough that the bolt catches at least 5 threads so you do not pull the threads out of the crank or strip the bolt.

The special tool is nothing more than a long threaded rod that screws into the crank and a nut that you thread on to bull the balancer on.

About the oil pick-up tube: IIRC...

The oil pump is mounted to the front cover. It is driven by a shaft that is connected to the cam position synchronizer, which is in-turn, driven by a gear on some shaft ... cam? counterbalance? (The oil pump pressure relief valve is built in the cover.) The oil flow galleries ... both in and out ... are connected directed to two openings in the block. So the pick-up and pressurized oil, come from and return to, ports in the block that the front cover attaches too.

The oil pick-up tube is therefore mounted to the block, not the front cover. You don't have to deal with it in the front cover procedure.

OOPS: now I read the post from Kevin ... he's already answered this!

Thanks all you guys really appreciate this...

If you think of anything else shoot them over!

Was hopping to get a head start this weekend to ease some of the work for next weekend, but ran out of time tending personal matters.

Let me know if you need anything else from the factory manual. We'll all be up tomorrow night that's for sure!

None of this is making me want to fool with mine. It's been parked almost a year, as we have two other vehicles to drive (though one is a gas hog and the other is a Focus, and the three kids are tired of being cramped)

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Update
Well I got it done last weekend, got all the parts needed (Water Pump, Timing Cover Gasket, Oil Pan Gasket and Balancer Puller) and read thru all the procedures one last time!.

I decided to run clean water thru the engine one last time and realized that the leak was coming thru the water pump housing, so I did the water pump first and found a hairline fracture on the water pump housing extending from the center to the outer left side of the housing.

Put the new pump on it, got everything back together and leak is gone, thank God

Still took me almost all day after loosing one nut and crossthreading a support bracket bolt, otherwise it would've been a 4 to 5 hour job.
Now I just have to return the gaskets since I didn't have to mess with that thankfully...!

Anyway, thank you all again for helping out! and Happy Thankgiving to you all!

Good find! The coolant pump is the hardest part of the front cover job ... its downhill after that!

Back to ya on Holiday Cheers!

How did you go about lifting the engine?

That was easy... just remove the front and rear engine mount nuts from under, then place a block of wood between the jack and Oil Pan and lift about 2 to 3 inches. Problem is that as you take the load of the front end by lifting the engine, the whole thing goes up.

So to be able to get the clearance needed to remove the Water Pump I had to kneal on the front bumper while reaching down in the engine bay... not dificult at all but ackward at time!

One thing that happened to me and might happen to others is that the lower radiator hose pipe or lower extension pipe had developed surface rust and the black coating cracked and peeled off.

Out of fear that the coating could loosen up and clog the cooling passages on the engine block, radiator or pump, I strpped the coating of the pipe as it striped off the pipe like old tape. But by doing so I did not get a good seal between this pipe and the Water Pump's inlet pipe when I put everything back together and developed a nasty leak!
The only thing that keeps a seal between this two pieces is an "O" ring... seriosly what a stupid design!!!!

So, today I spent a few hours draining the coolant, removing the lower extension pipe to the lower radiator hose and sanding the surface rust and coating off the pipe to prep it for new coating.

Then I used Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel Spray Paint (http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7778830-Enamel-Bar-B-Que-12-Ounce/dp/B0010O0C94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353814753&sr=8-1&keywords=rust-oleum+high+heat) to coat the pipe with new smooth surface to seal the bond.

I gave it enough time to dry, but not enough to harden so I could get a better bite, so after putting everything back together and adding the proper amount of coolant the joint started a very slow leak ( like a drip every 20 seconds or so) which got me really annoyed, but after like 15 mins of running at operating temp the leak went away, then drove it for like 10 mins and no leaks... so, so far it worked!

If you don't want to take your chances get the part before you start the job.. I just refuse to pay ($42 online, so the local dealer might be much more) when the part just had some surface rust and other than the flaky coating, everything else was fine with it!

So Ed - did you just replace the water pump or did you go ahead and pull the front cover and replace the gasket? Sounds like you didn't.

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So Ed - did you just replace the water pump or did you go ahead and pull the front cover and replace the gasket? Sounds like you didn't.

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Just the water pump was replaced... that was where the problem was! Timing cover was fine

If everything goes right this week I will be starting this on Friday. Will be trailering it down to a buddy with a lift and bigger tool selection. :) Have to start collecting parts. Unfortunately I have no choice but to pull the timing cover as I have an internal coolant leak and I'm pretty sure it's there based on what I've read on here.

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Grabber, have you ruled out the lower intake gaskets as your internal leak?

They are more likely to leak internaly than the timing cover. Do you ever have rough running for a few seconds after a hot restart? When my lower intakes went bad they also leaked coolant into the intake passages and caused a rough run conditon on restart till the coolant burned off.

Not to say it's not the timing cover, mine has leaked externaly twice, once coolant the second time oil.

I kinda agree with Kevin. I have a small crossover on my '99, rather than try to guess which it is ... I plan to do the front cover gasket and the lowers at the same time.

It has been so long since I decided what it was (I've let it sit a year now) that I can't remember how I settled on the timing cover. I was going to say it always ran perfect but I do recall some rough idle on startup (cold tho, not hot) a few times last year - but it has been too long to remember the details. If I remember right, the lower intake gasket would have been replaced when the isolator bolts were done. I know I pulled the upper and lower intake last year to check the gasket and crossover tube, which I thought it was at first, because it never dripped coolant externally, and they looked good. Probably doesn't cost very much. I'm sure I read on here that the front cover leaking was a known problem, but I'm not at my computer so I'll have to look again later. It started out as diagnosing poor heat, and discovered I had a coolant leak with no visible external leak (which changed after I flushed the system to an external leak at the water pump :( ) I had to work last night so I didn't have time to chase parts down for this weekend and load the van on the trailer.

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According to the general Windstar info thread (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=672854) both the front cover and intake gaskets are likely leak sources if you have an internal leak. Since I had an external leak at the front cover, I leaned that way. However, I don't see how I can rule out one or the other (the timing cover or lower intake gaskets) without pulling them both, and have to replace the gaskets either way. Any tips on that? Originally when I was investigating leak when it actually became visible, it was clearly coming from the front cover area near the water pump - but wasn't sure which at the time. I know the water pump was leaking externally after I flushed the system, so that has to be replaced anyway. I also know coolant has gotten into the oil because it is milky and there is condensation on the filler cap from sitting all year. I bought both sets of gaskets just in case we have time to do both, but that's a lot for one weekend. Any other little items I am forgetting? I need to pick up the RTV still and the thread sealer for the studs that go through the coolant passages.

Also, any reason not to use the Felpro intake gaskets vs getting them from the dealer? I assume (there's that word..) that they would have updated them after the redesign by Ford or they'd be selling junk. I have always used Felpro gaskets in the past and had good luck with them.

Sorry for the wordy post. :)

I would go with either Felpro or Ford ... whichever is the more convenient to acquire. I am using Felpro on an Escort at the moment.

I do prefer Ford crankshaft rear seals ... when that task comes up.

Man I hate working on new cars. So much crap in the way. No sign of water leaking at the front cover. Cover and new pump are installed. Started on the intake now. Broke the end on the cruise cable taking it off. :/

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In a way I wish we had pulled the intake first, because it definitely was leaking there, but the water pump needed to be replaced anyway, so no big loss, and now I know there was no problem at the front cover. The instructions scubacat posted helped a lot as they were much more detailed than the Chilton's book. Getting the balancer off was the biggest pain as we had to unbolt the front subframe and pull it down to get the clearance needed to pull it off, and then it was barely enough. Working on a lift make the whole process much easier, which is why I was willing to trailer the van 3 hours to my buddy's house. :)

While we had it apart I decided to buy a new syncro as the bearing on mine felt pretty bad and it had previously made noise which I stopped by dripping some oil or tranny fluid into the top of it to lube the bearing. It does not appear there is any oil passage to lube that bearing at all. Who designed this stuff?