I have a oil leak where the ip housing bolts to the block. What is the easiest way to remove the housing? I don't want to lose timing if I can help it. Could I use a bolt and washer or longer bolt and keep the gear from turning in the housing? Or does the ip have to come off?
The easiest way?
Well, there really is no easy way. If you have to remove the housing, you have to assume you'll lose your timing.
You can do it one of 2 ways.
1. Remove the pump, then fool with the gear housing timing gear, and then re-install the pump to the mounted housing.
2. Remove the housing and pump all as one unit. I found this to work well, but it takes a bit of fiddling to work with the whole unit, and especially when putting it back in all nicely siliconed, and trying to lower it nicely without bangin' stuff. I did a couple dry runs first to figure it out.
So,
..here.. is an article worth reading. This will explain things.
and lastly,
..here.. is a pic of the pump gear all marked to put back in place when still mounted to the pump. Note, the horizontal mark is at the 16th tooth on either side, as opposed to the 19th when just putting the gear in(like in the article), and if you move it one way or the other(even one tooth), you'll see it is out very easily, so you'll have complete confidence you've got it aligned.
When dropping it into place, I put the long bolts into the holes in the housing, slowly lowered it till I could get a couple threads started, and then slid the whole thing down on the bolts all the while watching the timing marks on the gear.
This has worked for me several times, first time every time, never messed up the timing yet.
Good luck with it.
Zigg