Timing Case Removal

[chris_e34]

WOW, my carelessness really got the best of me this time. excuse my rant.....so after a full weekend of thoroughly cleaning my m60 block, heads, and various other metal parts i am finally ready for the assembly process...(pictures soon to come hopefully, if i get this current problem fixed) i sometimes use my stereo sytem in my car to listen to music while i work on non electrical systems in my car, which has never given me any issues, until saturday. i asked my girlfriend to put on some music, and instead of just turning the key to position 1 she cranked the ignition (drunken absentmindedness....) with basicly a bare block in the car (no heads so the timing chain was dangling) the timing chain is now jammed inside of timing case. now i fully realize why in the bentley it mentions disconnecting the battery in more than one place.....Now im stuck, i cant figure out how to remove the lower timing case. are there more bolts that come up from under, perhaps fromt he oil pan area? i just put a new oil pan gasket on and new bolts and it would be really frustrating to have to disassemble what i have just put together. I am really hoping that i have not just prematurely finished my e34 rebuild. especialy since i am about 5 grand invested atm.


i have taken all of the visable bolts out, but it seems that its still firmly held in place at the bottom. any tricks, PLEASEEEEE help
thanks
-Chris

[Ross]

KILL HER
Or perhaps you can turn the crank backwards with the nut and free up the chain.

Good luck, Ross

[chris_e34]

haha, i was def. heated. but i was able to control my temper until my blood was flowing properly again. it was innocent on her part, she was just trying to turn ont he radio and diddnt realize what she was doing... but back on the subject i have a 4 foot breaker bar that i was using to try and free it up but the crank will not budge...i gave up on this method, i dont want to force it and possibly crack or break something else....

[yaofeng]

Opening the timing case of a V8 is not for the light hearted. I commend your courage. I think you need to reopen the sump pan again, likely much more in order to jar the case loose.

Even with the engine on the stand I am too chicken to do it. See picture.



My other question is how did you remove the flex damper? Actually the flex damper is not the problem. It is the flange on the crank shaft the flex damper attaches to (325 ft-lbs?). It took a 3/4" drive breaker bar and 1 four foot long cheater bar to jar it loose.

[Ross]

That's a lot of leverage, surely sounds stuck to me. One of these guys here will know the V-8 and be able to help.
Once I didn't recognize that something else is wrong when you start using huge amounts of leverage. Removing the crank dampener from a Buick V-8 I attatched the puller and began turning the screw to pull it off, When I couldn't turn it anymore and the dampener hadn't budged I used a pipe on the breaker bar, then a longer pipe and still no go. Finally getting a pipe that must have been six feet long and hanging and jumping on it the dampener exploded into bits with a big pop. Laying on the floor with the debris was the washer I had forgotten to remove! None of the force was applied to the crank only different portions of the same part. My friends had a pretty good laugh.

[yaofeng]

I know it is stuck. I made it that way by installing a drift to lock the flywheel to the engine block at No. 1 piston TDC. Otherwise there is no way I can keep the crankshaft stationary while turning with a five feet leverage. The engine stand was on the verge of tipping over.

[Jon K]

I had Alan_525i standing on my engine stand and me with a ~7' pole... when the bolt broke free Alan covered his ears in fear/being startled. It was classic!