Eldorado 500 CID, timing cover fitting, engine IN car.

[V63]

(500 cid) The specific issue here is the FWD part, engine in car. Replacing timing cover, namely the front oil pan seal WITHOUT dropping the oil pan! I understand it was engineered for oil pan to be fitted last. Factory shop manual step #1 is "REMOVE ENGINE" ...I'm not going there!

I used super glue to FIX the new oil seal to the oil pan and pulled the titties thru the holes in the pan. The interference is so great compressing that seal AND also getting it inside the spot welded valley inside the timing cover.

Soooo, my question is has anyone devised a 'work around' on this issue before I come up with one myself 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

[TJ Hopland]

Did you drive the locating pins back into the block to remove the cover?   Then drive the pins the rest of the way out of the block without dropping them into the pan?   Gives you a little more room to move the cover around and you drive them back in when you get it back on.    I have never done it myself because I wanted to get all the crap out of the pan but if your sprocket still had all its plastic maybe it would be a reasonable shortcut.

[V63]

Yes, I did find those dowels were problematic. I did a 'cheat' on those locating dowels and drilled their accompanying holes slightly larger. It helped,  but still not getting a feel for a good 'assembly' yet. I had to put everything down Yesterday before 'stuff' started flying 🤬

[MaR]

I just put a bunch of sealant on the lower rubber seal and carefully pushed it in place over the oil pan. It's been on for almost two years now with no leaks.

[V63]

You have the 'touch' because with that cone on the crank it's sure tricky to seat it

[V63]

Well😳, I believe I found success☺️🤔?
It was impossible....in my opinion,  to fix the rubber seal
To the oil pan and follow with nesting It into the timing cover valley 😤, no can do. I did enlarge the alignment dowel holes for a little more wiggle room. 1/4" drill?

I already have the water pump assembled on the timing cover...this made it easier to facilitate assembly.

Soooo, I cleaned the timing cover valley and super glued the CLEAN rubber seal both into the valley AND the front of the seal. I swiped the surfaces to cure with RTV.

I shaved the titties off with a razor and swiped that same bottom surface with quality grey RTV, installed wet. I had already siliconed the paper timing cover gasket in place on the cover... both sides to full cure. Next I swiped the cleaned front oil pan seal surface (where titties would pull thru) with wet RTV and the upper corners where all meets the Engine block.

I tilted the cover to the drivers side to 'start' fastening with the lowest cover fastener at the oil pan, once it started I snugged it a bit as I pivoted the cover down into place using a Phillips screwdriver in one of the Empty upper bolt holes as leverage to "compress" the front oil pan seal. Next I started introducing more fasteners from the bottom up.

It seems to have gone together so well ...it's almost scary😱😳🤣... I'll advise if I meet disappointment (oil leak) but I'm certainly encouraged at the moment!