Front cover removal tips ?

[95'Spendstar]

With a worsening coolant leak and a steady oil pressure light on, I'm preparing to remove the front cover and all the other fun that goes with it to replace the gasket along with an oil pump inspection/replacement and also checking the oil pick up tube for clogging.
Are there any "You damn sure better.." tips that others who have done these jobs would like to pass along?

[wiswind]

The '95 also had more problems with the head gasket than the other years.
Front cover, aka timing cover, is a MAJOR repair job....and you will need to have a good repair manual....and follow the instructions.
Make sure to get all the bolts......I have seen mention of the one "behind the oil pump" that is easy to miss. If you try to remove the cover without taking ALL the bolts out.....you will break it.
Also, where thread sealant is called for......use it....or you will have leaks.

I would also buy the replacement gaskets from FORD as they have been improved.
The gaskets for the front cover are very inexpensive......but they are a LOT of work to change.

If you replace the head gaskets, I would also buy them from FORD......and you will need to replace the lower intake manifold gaskets as well.
Do NOT put any sealants onto the head gasket......it is to be "dry fitted".

I have NOT done the front cover gasket repair, so others may have tips for you.

[kevink1955]

You need to jack the engine up, I only needed to remove the front mount to gain the clerance needed. All the studs (5 if I remember correctly) must be unscrewed from the block while the cover is still in place, just double nut them and hope they are not seized in the cover(mine where ok)

When you reinstall the cover the 3 rear studs must be in the cover before you place it on the engine, I put all 5 in place just so I wold not forget.

I did not remove the oil pan, I used a FelPro gasket set that includes silicone sealer for the pan to cover joint. This joint was silicone from the factory anyway.

Like Wiswind said, do not miss the bolt located under the oil pump, it's an allen head and was not a standard size (it's Metric I think) I wound up grinding down a 1/4" drywall screw tip and puting it in a 1/4" socket. It did not need much grinding to make it fit.

Before you pull the crank balancer all the way off make note of it's position (mine had a notch that I pointed straight up) then remove the cam sensor and note the position of the "vane" that spins under the cover.you also neeed to make a scribe a mark to line the sensor up with the timing cover.

I have to say the worst part of the job besides bending over the fender for real long time is scraping the gaskets off.

It took me 14 hours without trying to rush it. Only special tool was a balancer puller, people have said you need a power steering pulley puller but I got the pump bracket off the engine without removing the pulley. The 1 lower bolt is the problem, with the pulley in the way you can only turn it 1 wrench flat at a time.

I had trouble breaking the balancer bolt loose as I could not keep the engine from turning. I used an old trick from years back, I put a socket and braker bar in the bolt and wedged it on the frame rail. I then bumped the engine over with the starter till it broke the bolt loose. Be carefull if you do this, if the bar slips it's going to go flying.

My Windstar is a 96, I am assuming your 95 should be the same

Good luck

[CoachKarl]

Yes, the allen bolt behind the oil pump. Don't miss that. Recessed of course, and that recess completely filled with crud, making it unnoticable, unless you know it's there. After my personal excavation I found that mine was already loosened up.

Does you leak drip from the vacinity of the oil filter?

Karl

[12Ounce]

Originally Posted by kevink1955

I did not remove the oil pan, I used a FelPro gasket set that includes silicone sealer for the pan to cover joint.

Good luck

For me, this is a major tip! I'm facing this gasket job on my '99, and would like not to remove the oil pan.

Is the oil pump mouted to the front cover on the '96? What were the steps concerning the oil pump?

After removing the pulleys and the camshaft sensor synchronizer, was the oil pump removed? ???

[kevink1955]

The FelPro gasket set includes a tube of silicone sealer to seal the pan to the timing cover. The instructions say to install the cover then squeze the sealer into the pan to cover joint. I did not feel this would result in a lasting seal so I first put a bead of sealer on the block to pan junction. I then ran a bead of sealer around the front edge of the pan. Make sure all the parts are spotlessly clean and oil free so the silicone can stick.

I then reinstalled the cover and sealed it from the outside as the instructions recomended. So far it is bone dry, just keep the sealer at the outside of the pan, you would not want it to squeze into the pan where it may break loose and clog the oil pickup.

If it leaks at a later date I could always drop the pan then, I had nothing to loose by giving it a try.

The Oil Pump is installed on the timing cover and does not need to be removed to remove the cover. Be carefull not to get any of the old gasket into the oil passages in the cover or the block. It would not take much to lock up the pump.

Just mark the crank balancer, cam sensor housing and the vane position and you will not have any trouble there.

[95'Spendstar]

Coach it seems to be between the block and the cover near the top of the engine. I originally thought it was the water pump and replaced it. Jeez o' Pete what a job but I've been in there once and I'll go again. "Damn the torpedos!"
Thanks to all for the good advice.

[LeSabre97mint]

A heads up.

My 95 needed rod bearings at 177,000 miles. I had rod noise on start up. A pan gasket and 30.00 set of rod bearings I'm just about at 200,000 miles and no noise (from the rods that is).

#6 was the worst bearing. It had copper showing in just about all of the upper half.

Dan

[wiswind]

Mention of rod bearings brings up the major concern.
Leakage of coolant INTO the engine.
Coolant in the oil WILL cause damage to bearings and such......in a relatively small amount. If you can eyeball the oil and find it.......it is way more than enough to cause internal damage to the engine.
You can take a sample of oil, and send it in for analysis.
It costs $20 for a standard analysis, plus postage (several dollars) at http://www.blackstone-labs.com/index.html

They will send you a free sample and mailing kit.
Well worth the cost, and they are fast.

[12Ounce]

Well, I've finally started the dreaded front cover gasket job on my '99 3.8. I've got about 6 hours in it and haven't finished dis-assembling yet! I've got the water pump off. What a beast of a job! Tomorrow morning I hunt for a balancer puller.

My hat's off to anyone who has already completed the gasket change-out. Wish I'd just traded it instead!

BTW, did anyone add any RTV or other sealant to the cover gasket?

[phil-l]

12Ounce -

Please take pictures and share your experiences with this project. I'm hoping my 2000 won't have the same problem some day - but if it does, I'd like to know what I'm in for.

[12Ounce]

Yes, I am taking pictures .. but will depend on someone else to publish them, as I don't know how.

Today, I got maybe two hours of work in, and have finished the "disassembly". The crankshaft pulley/balancer is removed, the front cover is removed. Shop towels are stuffed into place to prevent debris falling into oil pan. Once the water pump was removed ... most of the 'bad" work was done. I do not plan to remove the oil pan. But two oil pan screws had to be removed to release the front cover. The "hidden" socket screw is 6 mm BTW.

Tomorrow starts the clean-up and reassembly.

[phil-l]

12Ounce -

Presuming you've got a digital camera, there are lots of easy ways to post pictures.

Probably the easiest: Create a photo album on one of the free picture hosting sites. For example, here's an album of Windstar towing pictures I took, posted using webshots:

http://community.webshots.com/album/549196858rbUAlb

[wiswind]

I would recommend posting them on one of the free sites as well.
I had someone ask about having me post their pictures, but as I have dialup, that would be combersome.
If you have your own folder, you would certainly load more pictures, and you would be able to very easily edit the comments with your pictures.

The pictures are VERY helpful.
Mine have had well over 70,000 views in about 1.5 years.
It is hard going into a job not knowing what it is going to involve.
Pictures make it so much easier.

Phil,
Where did you buy the spring air bags?

[kevink1955]

Originally Posted by 12Ounce

Well, I've finally started the dreaded front cover gasket job on my '99 3.8. I've got about 6 hours in it and haven't finished dis-assembling yet! I've got the water pump off. What a beast of a job! Tomorrow morning I hunt for a balancer puller.

My hat's off to anyone who has already completed the gasket change-out. Wish I'd just traded it instead!

BTW, did anyone add any RTV or other sealant to the cover gasket?

I used a thin coat of #2 Permatex on the water passages on the cover and on the water pump gasket. Just returned from a 1300 mile round trip and so far no problems. I also did not remove the oil pan and when reinstalled I used the RTV from the FelPro kit, it's not even seeping at the pan to cover joint.

Did you mark the balancer and the relationship to the cam sensor position?

If so I would recomend that you do not try to torque the balancer bolt untill you install the cam sensor, you do not want to let the engine turn.

Do not forget to put the studs into the cover before you place it on the engine, their are a few that are to long to install later no matter how much you jack the engine.