First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... Scott,
1. As long as there are no jagged edges that would catch the new seal, and it's only a very slight indentation I would try leaving it. Worse case scenario, you are out 30 mins of pulling it later and replacing the harmonic balancer. I would seriously doubt it would come to that though, I've seen balancers come off engines that did not leak that had more of a noticeable groove. 2. https://static.am-autoparts.com/item/64af94ca60.jpg This is a standard stock harmonic balancer. One piece. I'm sure this is what you have. 3. There is nothing wrong with the Fel Pro gaskets. Paying more for "normal" (read: not head gaskets or header gaskets) gaskets is ludicrous because if you ever have to work on your engine, the gasket is the first thing you have to destroy and replace. Proper preparation of gasket surfaces is by far the best thing you can do to ensure a good seal. A light coat of Permatex (#2 or RTV Silicone) on all paper gasket surfaces works. I prefer Permatex #2 personally, but trust me, everyone you ask will have a different answer on what to use to "correctly" seal your gaskets. Read up on them. http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_seal ants.htm 4. If your water pump is in "excellent" condition and it isn't leaking, just clean the gasket surface and re-install. If you get into old cars with that "damn, I'm here, I might as well replace it" mindset, you are going to cost yourself a lot of cash and heartaches. Ask me how I know. :) A water pump replacement is one of the easiest things to do later on IF you ever need to The most important thing you never mentioned is that in a Pontiac engine you NEED to make sure you have your water pump divider plate installed between your pump and the timing cover, and that the plate is properly gapped to .030 between the bump blades and the divider plate (measure WITH the gaskets installed). Everything else above is meaningless if you don't have the divider plate installed correctly, because more than likely, your engine will overheat. Thomas -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Scott Everson Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 10:58 PM To: 'First Generation Firebird-L' Subject: [FGF] Installing water pump and timing cover on '67 326 First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... Hi Guys, I've pulled off the entire front end in an effort to clean up some oil and coolant leaks that were driving me nuts. I had an oil leak at the timing cover crank seal and a coolant leak between the timing chain cover and the intake manifold. I want to make sure I get everything back together as tight and dry as possible, so I'm looking for a few tips: 1. Re: the timing crank seal, when I pulled the harmonic balancer I found that the old seal (that only had about 2,000 miles on it) was not seated properly - it was folded over on one edge. Not only did this result in the oil leak, but the shaft on the balancer now has a shiny ring around it where the seal meets the shaft. When I run my finger over it, I think I can feel a VERY SLIGHT yet perceptible groove on the shaft. Does this mean I need to replace the H.B.? If so, anyone have an extra one in good shape? 2. RE: the harmonic balancer, when I look online at Ames (here's a link to the Ames part: https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Detail_Web?part_num=FN770V) and Classic, they both show a three piece assembly: a hub, a nodular damper and an optional spacer. Mine only has the hub. Should I be alarmed that I don't have the other two parts? 3. RE: installation of the water pump and timing cover, any tips on the best way to insure a nice tight seal? Is there a better option then the standard Fel-Pro gasket set? Any gasket cement? In particular, how about the seal between the timing cover and the intake manifold? 4. RE: the water pump, although mine appears to still be in excellent condition, I hate to install a used water pump after going through all this trouble. Any particular brand or supplier for water pumps that anyone recommends? The new ones from Ames are $90 and their reman's are only $35, yet they both carry just a 90 day warranty. Sorry for the long post and all the questions. I just want to make sure I get reassembled without any leaks! Scott ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/>
