Timing set, cover, and water pump installation

Do yourself a favor and rotate the motor to line up the dots before taking the timing set off. I'm not sure that would've helped in this case as the entire reason I was replacing the set was to advance the timing to pre-72 specs, but still.

I did all the testing above with the old crank gear because the new one was pretty tight. I heated it to 150 in the oven for a while, but I still had to use the harmonic balancer installer with a chunk of pipe to get it to fit.

 Before I installed the crank gear the entire way, I slipped on the cam gear and chain:

Seems ok. I wish there was an easier way to tell. Probably just takes experience. 

Oil slinger back on. Cam gear torqued. I went to check the torque a second time, and it rotated the motor. Meh, it's good.

Harmonic Balancer painted with TDC in white and BDC in red. I saw the trick on this guy's videos and I think it's a good idea.

I poured a bunch of oil over the set to help prelube.

All of the old manuals say to dose both sides of the gasket with oil-resistant sealer. I just did the timing cover side. Probably won't leak. Probably.

Everyone has different ideas on how the best way to do it should be. Older gasket material and older goops play a role too. I went with only using goop on the cover side of the gasket because I absolutely hate cleaning crud off the block. I can take the cover off and soak it in solvent and I don't have to stand on my head to clean it like I do with the block when the motor is in the car.

I was tempted to use no goop at all. I'm of the opinion that if it won't seal dry, it won't seal at all. Maybe I'll allow some use of goops for a low place or gouge, but whatever.

I ended up using goop on the cover side to keep the gasket in place. I'll let you know if it leaks.

I also cleaned the block surface with acetone so it was as clean as possible. The old guy in the video uses the phrase 'hospital clean' and I like that.

Ready for gooping. I used a gloved finger to apply an even coat. I didn't have a brush handy. This is also a good time to make sure the spring is in place in the seal:

Looking clean. I threaded the bolts, but left a little slop in the cover so the harmonic balancer could find its center without having to fight the timing cover while I was installing it.

Going back on.

Here it was a little tight so I was worried I'd gotten it off-center with the keyway. Not stressing, no.

I really should've cleaned and painted the balancer.

The little bearing from the installer kit they include jammed up in the balancer.I just pried it out with a screwdriver.

Once the balancer was in place, I lined up the timing cover lower edge so it felt even with the oilpan mating surface and tightened it down.

 This is a blurry shot showing the one timing cover bolt that you can't reach with a torque wrench once the balancer is on. You could probably do it with a crowfoot wrench. I didn't bother.

 I used the same trick to tighten the balancer as I used to loosen it.

 The bolts that I stuck in the balancer to immobilize it are 3/8-16 and 3 to 5 inches long.

 Water pump installed. Cleaned block side with acetone. Again, I painted the just waterpump side of the gasket (this time with the waterproof sealer) and not the block side. I also put a bit on the bolts. Three of the four go into the water jacket, so I just did all four.

 

I also cleaned and oiled the head bolts, main pulley bolts, fan pulley bolts, and oil pan bolts for the next phase. This job was much easier because of all the prep work I did ahead of time: cleaning, painting, and oiling bolts, painting covers ahead of time, sticking bolts into in a cardboard box. Just staging.

I cannot emphasize how much easier everything goes together when the threads are clean and oiled. I ran every bolt I could through a die after cleaning and before painting/oiling them.

I also wrote out a list of my exact steps and any torque values or goops I would need. It really kept the old ADHD in line:

rotate cam and crank to meet
install timing set
verify lined up
*oil or assembly lube on chain and gears
*antiseize/grease on crank snout
tighten cam gear bolt (torque value 35-45)
(use something to hold the gear in place, or lock flywheel)
install oil slinger (brim out)
install timing cover loosely
install harmonic balancer
install balancer washer and bolt loosely
try to align timing cover with block
tighten timing cover (torque value 7-9)
torque balancer bolt (torque value 85-100)
install pulley to hb (torque value 35-50) (Note: I put this one off until the oil pan is done.)
install water pump
*sealant on bolts that go into water jacket

(torque value 12-15)