Oh NO!!... NOT the dreaded timing chain cover COOLANT LEAK! =:O

[fixizin]

... I now see clearly why there's 3 gaskets and a crank seal.

But what I DON'T see in those pics are the special oil-pan related gaskets mentioned earlier in this thread...?

 

[racsan]

If you think this job is “fun” with a ranger chassis, try it in a ‘93 taurus fwd with the motor sideways! Its been years ago but I do remember it, was a pain!

 

[fixizin]

If you think this job is “fun” with a ranger chassis, try it in a ‘93 taurus fwd with the motor sideways! Its been years ago but I do remember it, was a pain!

Yep, I had a same-era Taurus with the same 3.0, and while I never had to do anything major to the engine, I do remember having to remove the right-front wheel (and splash skirt) for just about anything, even a fan-belt swap, IIRC... never liked FWD... but I wouldn't turn down a minty rust-free Taurus SHO w/ manual, lol...

 

[pentode]

FWIW I wouldn't be too afraid of that job if you're decent with a wrench. There are a couple good threads on here with advice and I posted a few things I noticed doing mine, including how I dealt with pitting on the timing cover housing.

Thread 'Things I learned doing the 3.0 timing cover leak fix'

May 19, 2024

In case someone else like me with limited experience on the 3 liter comes along looking for some hints, I'm just going to post a few things I discovered while doing my repair that I didn't see anywhere else. This is definitely not a tutorial, just filling in a few gaps (I'm not saying this info isn't out there, I just didn't find it in my research prep for this job)

Clean off the top edge of the timing cover/water pump area and any mud/dirt/debris off anything above that area as best you can before you start. This will keep as much crud as possible from dropping into the oil pan when...

• pentode
• Replies: 3
• Forum: 3.0 Liter Forum

• 

It's been a few years now but I don't recall any major gotchas. As I recall, getting off the fan clutch was the biggest pain and that was solved with the proper tools. There's nothing really tricky about the job especially if you're not in a big hurry. I would suggest just doing the timing chain while you're in there depending on your mileage and what you find - if you do that you shouldn't need to go in there again for the life of the vehicle.

 

[fixizin]

I'm about to go out and patch it with Permatex Form-a-Gasket #1, for the short term... my observation is it's a temperature-triggered leak: doesn't leak when it's cold, or even the moment the thermostat opens, but only once that end of the block and timing cover get up to "steady state" hot. And "end o' the day" we're only holding back 15 PSI... not asking it to seal Power Steering or Braking pressures...

I may have long-term use of a garage (and a beater-loaner car) in a couple months... there's NO WAY I personally am getting this done in one day, not even counting other issues I'll probably discover during disassembly... probably do the rest of my brake lines and drum brake "refresh" while I'm at it. NOT being out in the sun and rain all day will take some getting used to, but I'll adapt!

Thanks again for all the advice, and KEEP IT COMING!

 

[fixizin]

I'm about to go out and patch it with Permatex Form-a-Gasket #1, for the short term...

ALLL-righty then, that went smoother than I expected, and the predicted 4PM rain held off too... put on the gloves (and safety gogs) and got under there, BRAKE CLEANER in hand, noticed a bit of coolant weep even though truck hasn't run for 2 days... my spot is only shady in the morning, figured it built up a bit of pressure from sitting in the sun, so popped the rad-cap and sure enough, a small spurt, but not enough to push the plunger and go to the overflow reservoir... got back under, hosed it down REAL good with (Greta Thunberg-approved NON-chlorinated ) brake cleaner, until I was looking at nekkid cast iron, and I guess aluminum for the Timing Cover...?

Anyhoo, put a nice bead of the reddish-brown goo way past the dye stain in each direction, tried pushing it into the junction... and now I just wait. Starting a new job tomorrow, gotta roll at 7:30AM, but it's only 3.4 miles away, could probably make it with zero coolant... KIDDING! Leak is not THAT bad, and if this even slows it down it'll be win. Dollar Tree helping out with Prestone 50/50 for only $5/gallon! Took me 7 months to go through the previous gallon, new larger leak probably 1-2 months, depending on miles. (But it's embarrassing visiting friends, and having to borrow the garden hose on your way out, lol...)

 

[fixizin]

NB: in another thread on this same topic, someone mentioned the frame being in the way from below, but on my setup (4WD w/ Torsion Bars), it seems that if I simply removed my beefy 29mm sway-bar (time for new bushings anyway), I'd have quite a nice "corridor" to work in... might have to remove only the fan shroud, but not the radiator...?

Or do I want to remove not only the rad, but the grille too, so I can basically "walk" the new timing cover "straight-in", with great visibility and access from all angles??

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I find it so much easier to access the front when there is no rad or grill. But that's the configuration on my low buck race truck. I'm not sure how much effort it would be to remove if it was still there.

 

[jscraiderfan]

I ended up doing this job about 6 months ago it's an unfortunate consequence of doing a water pump job sometimes. Ford in their infinite wisdom decided to use many of the Water pump bolts to hold the front cover on as well so sometimes just doing the water pump (which I did back in 2019) can cause the timing cover gasket to dislodge esp if it's never been done juuuust enough for it to leak which mine did. When I noticed my Water Pump going out again I decided to just bite it and do the whole thing once and for all.. I ended up putting a new cover on as the old one cracked.

 

[fixizin]

I ended up doing this job about 6 months ago it's an unfortunate consequence of doing a water pump job sometimes. Ford in their infinite wisdom decided to use many of the Water pump bolts to hold the front cover on as well so sometimes just doing the water pump (which I did back in 2019) can cause the timing cover gasket to dislodge esp if it's never been done juuuust enough for it to leak which mine did. When I noticed my Water Pump going out again I decided to just bite it and do the whole thing once and for all.. I ended up putting a new cover on as the old one cracked.

Yeah, NOT a great design, esp. when you consider the potential for coolant contaminating the oil. I remember my brother building a small-block Chevy (SBC) and IIRC the water pump bolted directly to the block, and the timing chain was behind its own simple stamped cover, with no path from a water pump leak into the crankcase! Meanwhile, Ford having to flow coolant through the complex casting of the TC cover... and as you point out, the Ford TC cover is a lame mount for the water pump, compared to the cast iron face of the block itself. GRRrrrrr...

 

[fixizin]

Not sure what’s up with the thing you circled, looks like a gasket that blew out but it should be leaking a lot more of that was the case.

Doing a little study, it looks like Ford did have the foresight to leave 2 "escape channels" in the mating surface of the TC cover, so that coolant can leak off to the sides before it gets into the oil, and one of those outlets is what I circled in red... which makes me wonder: if my Permatex jury-rig works "too well", will I just end up FORCING coolant into the oil? (Oil looks fine now, zero contamination...) Pour some Acme Stop-Leak into the radiator????