I need to remove the IP cover, need advise

[cheap bronco]

I need to remove the IP cover, need advice

I need to remove the ip cover to install helical inserts, one of the stud threads in the cover is stripped. My question is, if remove the cover will the timing gear move to one side or the other, or will it stop on the lower cover?. when I reinstall the cover, im thinking all I need to do is hold down the gear while rotating it into position again and install the cover, correct me if im wrong.

 

[icanfixall]

WRONG.... You can remove the gear cover that the tach sender and the injection pump mounts to without issues but. DO NOT LEAVE THE GEAR & PUMP attached to the cover. You will never know if the gear gets put back correctly. Do this. Remove the injection pump. Thats 3 nuts and 3 bolts. The bolts are a 5/16 12 point head and the nuts are a 9/16 head. Now once the pump has been removed from the cover housing now you can remove the housing without messing up the gear timing. Problem is when the gear and pump are still connected to the housing you wont be able to see the gears time properly. Its a crap shoot at best and 1 tooth off either way ruins the timing of the engine. You can't simply move the pump more to get the timing correct. You run out of adjustment. Now if you heads are off its not a problem to find top dead center number 1 cylinder with the gear out of the front cover. No need to explain that process unless thats where you are now.

 

[cheap bronco]

Sorry forgot to mention my pump is removed due to the need to change the head gasket. So if I just lift the cover off I should be ok, I dont want to rotate the crank if I dont have to. Thanks again Gary for your input and help

 

[junk]

I would probably put some alignment marks to the cover on the gear. That way when you reinstall the cover if the marks you made don't line up you know the gear moved.

 

[icanfixall]

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Seeing the heads are off do this. Crank the engine till the timing marks on the dampner line up and number one cylinder is at top dead center. Then lift off the gear cover housing. the gear will rock from side to side but. It wont skip a tooth unless you lift it off. If for any reason you feel the gear has skipped a tooth and the engine is apart like you state you can do this. With the gear cover off lift out the gear. Now make a mark from the "Y" on the gear to the top of the gear. Now replace the gear and use a square to insure the line you made on the gear it at a right angle to the top of the engine front cover that the water pump bolts to. Another easy fix is knowing your at top dead center number one cylinder. With the gear off the engine count 17 teeth from the "Y" up each side of the gear. Make a mark across the gear. Now install the gear. If it lines up to the "Y" on the cam gear the line you made will be level with the top of the engine plate the water pump bolts to. Heres the kicker. Looking at the number one piston and the timing tab for the top dead center you can be 180 degrees out of time and the engine will run but very badly. Just ask the dog catcher bout that. He got a truck where some fools installed an injection pump by removing the housing, gear and pump as one. They did not know the cam gear has 2 gear timing marks. The "Y" marks needs to line up on the cam gear and the DOT mark needs to line up with the crank gear. Here is what the 3 gears looks like with the front of the engine removed. Also take note of the injection pump drive pin location. This pic shows the proper gear lignment The "Y" marks didn't show up too well but you can see then. Also notice how far down in the front cover the "Y" marks are. Thats why its difficult to time the gears when the front cover is on the engine. Just dropping the housing with the gear on it and the pump is never going to tell you.. "Your lucky this time"...
Also notice the drive pin in the injection pump gear. Its location tells you your at number one top dead center.