coolant leak/timing cover

[bumbleb77]

It is the front cover

I had to do one on a Taurus a while back. The 3.0L has about 6 bolts going through the water pump, front cover and into the water jacket. There are about 3 different sizes of bolts going through the whole thing, make note where they go. Be careful and torque to spec. If you over-tighten and strip it out you'll have to go in and repair the threads. Use a good thread sealent and new gaskets. It will be good as new for a long time to come.

 

[scruffy1]

Just what I thought. A bit like filling our veins with fast food grease.

I'm looking at the gasket set for the timing cover and there is a notation saying the oil pan gasket also needs to be replaced when changing the timing cover gasket. My Haynes doesn't mention that. What is your experience?

What size is the nut on the crankshaft pulley?

Thanks

 

[leppychaun]

Hey guys... well i replaced the Timing Cover Gasket .... talk about a nasty job ..in 28 deg weather ... omg. As far as the Oil pan gasket on my 3.0 B3000 we just took off the 2 screws on the oil pan ..it was a littl paing getting the Timing cover back on .. the oil pan gasket was nice and rubbery kept pushing it in but finally got it on just right without having to replace and no leaking. LoL got it all tore down without draining the a/c either ... i'm have to show you a picture of my water pump ..the fins were so worn down i'm surprised i didn't over heat !!!! looks like razor blade / chinese star .. all good though.

 

[scruffy1]

Leppchaun:
Glad it went well for you despite the cool weather. Not the best time of year for out door mechanics.
Was getting the harmonic balancer back on a problem? The book calls for a special tool. What size is the nut on the main pulley?

 

[bumbleb77]

To scruffy1 Alldata does recomend taking off the oil pan when you do all this, but just the front two can be removed if you don't go all out. The nut size I don't remember, I think it was 17mm, 19mm, or 21mm. If you have a good tool set you should be in the clear. Yes you do need a Dampner puller. While you're there REPLACE THE TIMING GEARS AND CHAIN. It's only a few extra bucks. Make sure all the gasket survices are clean. Just use a gasket glue/paste, no silicone. Thread sealent on the bolts going into the water jacket. Should be a good afternoons work

 

[scruffy1]

Hope everyone had good holidays.

Getting ready to tackle the leaky timing cover gasket. The timing chain has been replaced already which may be why the cover leaks....previous owner didn't follow the book?

Anyway, will I need a special tool to reinstall the main pulley? The book says I do but it also looks like something I could rig.

Thanks!

 

[04 EDGE]

i dont think any of the bolts go through the water jacket...that would be kinda odd.

could it be an intake manifold or head gasket leak?

at least 4 bolts go into the water jacket on the 3.0. you have to put thread sealer on them when replacing the water pump.

and i hate to say it but the 3.0 is prone to coolant leaks where the timing cover meets the engine block.

i see it more on the taurus then the ranger.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

appearantly you dont HAVE to...mines been without for 4 years

probably a good idea though.

 

[WNY964x4]

+1

stay far, far away from any kind of radiator (or oil, or power steering, or transmission) stop leak.

was just reading through this , hate to disagree with you wicked , but i live by lucas transmission fix , it kept my moms grand am going for a while longer , it helps that we knew that the problem that caused the slippage basically destroyed the back of the transmission ( gotta love having an ex-tranny shop owner for a boces instructor) so its not like it was hurting it

 

[scruffy1]

OK, OK.

But what about the main pulley? Will I need a special tool to get it back on??

 

[bumbleb77]

You should use a dampner installer. You can rent one from any number of auto parts stores. If you end up having to buy one, charge your friends to borrow it. They come with a number of different size bolts and attachments for any number of engines. If you are in a pinch you can use the bolt and washer but only as a last resort.

 

[scruffy1]

Thanks. Time to get started!

 

[scruffy1]

Done!

Got to it just in time. The old gasket was crumbly and had been bad long enough that water had started to erode the metal around the block/cover leak area. Much longer and it would have gotten into the oil. Used form-a-gasket sealent on the gasket and block around the collant passages to fill gaps. Torqued it up and no leaks. Nice to drive a truck that isn't stinking like hot coolant. "Rented" the harmonic balancer tool, worked like a charm.

BTW, the harmonic balancer bolt is 21mm.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[betomonroy]

.

 

[taurus2001]

I have a 2001 Taurus w/3.oL V6 and someone told me my timing cover gasket had to be replaced to fix an antifreeze leak. Is that possible? I read the above thread but can not believe the timing cover gasket is the cause of the leak. Is it really the gasket or just the 4 bolts that go into the water jacket that need to be resealed? Also, where can I find a breakout of the 3.0L engine to see why how the timing cover is involved with a coolant leak other than the 4 bolts?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.