2012 TIMING COVER LEAK INSTALL
2012 TIMING COVER LEAK MANUAL
2012 TIMING COVER LEAK CRACK

Most timing covers have a variety of bolt sizes and lengths holding them on. A few strikes from the dead blow hammer may be necessary to get it started. Remove the crankcase vent hose and spark plug connections. If your car has the camshaft in the block, it will probably not be necessary. If your car has an overhead camshaft, it will be necessary to take the valve cover off to access the upper part of the timing cover. This is another operation that may not apply to all cars.

2012 TIMING COVER LEAK MANUAL

Study the workshop manual and try to imagine pulling the cover six inches straight off of the car to see what might be in the way. In some cases, it might only be necessary to remove a pulley from the accessory. The power steering, air conditioning, and/or alternator all may have to be removed to gain complete access to the timing cover. Watch carefully for any loose keys that may slide out with it. If it is stubborn, a gear puller or harmonic balancer puller will do the trick. Once the center bolt is out, you should be able to pull the pulley off the crankshaft with little more than a few strikes on the side from a dead blow hammer. You will need to use a crankshaft holding tool or an impact wrench to take this bolt out. Getting the bolt off this pulley can be a challenge because the engine tries to turn while you attempt to loosen the bolt. On the front of the engine is a large pulley or harmonic balancer that comes through the timing cover. Remove the bolts holding it down and gently pry it off. On most timing chain cars and many timing belt cars, the water pump has to come off to get access to all of the bolts or to get enough clearance to get the cover off. When the belt is loosened, it may still be necessary to turn the engine with a wrench while you “walk” the belt off of the pulley. These are often difficult to reach and having the appropriate belt tensioner tool will make all the difference. It may be a question of loosening the mount on an alternator or other accessory, or if it is a late model car, It will have a spring-loaded tensioner that you need to loosen. Your car will have one or more drive belts that have to come off. Unbolt the mounts and remove the radiator. If your car has an automatic transmission, disconnect the oil cooler lines as well.

Remove the hose clamps and disconnect the hoses. There are a few exceptions where there is enough room to work with the radiator in place. If your car is a front-engine rear-drive, however, the radiator probably has to come out. If yours is a front wheel drive car with a transverse (sideways) engine, it almost certainly does not. If your car doesn’t have a drain, you may have to loosen a hose at a low spot on the engine. Remove the radiator or coolant reservoir cap, locate the drains with your workshop manual and let the coolant out into your drain pan. But most cars run coolant through the timing cover, so it will have to be drained before the cover is removed. If your car uses a timing belt, there may be no need to drain the coolant. Jack the front of the car and place it on good jack stands. Set the brake and put wheel chocks under the rear wheels. Make sure the car is in park, or in first gear if it is a manual. Gear puller or harmonic balancer puller.

2012 TIMING COVER LEAK CRACK

Most often the failure will be in the gaskets or seals on the timing cover, but occasionally, there may be a crack or chip that will necessitate replacement of the timing cover itself. If any of those areas leak, the timing cover will have to be removed.

2012 TIMING COVER LEAK INSTALL

If the chain or belt that it protects get too loose, if the water pump that is attached to it fails, or if somebody changes a part and doesn’t install the bolts correctly, you might find yourself replacing a timing cover.īesides protecting the timing mechanism inside, the timing cover also has coolant and oil passages. If there is a failure, it’s generally caused by a failure of something nearby.

Its life is usually long and trouble free. There’s not much that goes wrong with the timing cover itself.

2012 timing cover leak