2003 Etech 350 timing cover

[JoeH]

Trying to chase an oil leak on the front of our 2003 mr688s. ETECH 350. What's involved in pulling the timing cover to reseal it?  Truck needs a new radiator some time anyway as this one is weeping the faintest amount, so access will be great if I combine tasks.

Anything I should look for while in there? Truck has 27,000+ hours, 400k+ miles.

[Joey Mack]

To pull the timing cover. Remove the fan only, steering pump, oil pan, harmonic balancer,crank hub, (installing the hub requires baking it in a small oven to 250 degrees) and very quickly putting it on til it seats.  This part can be tricky.. need to remove the front engine mount stand and support the engine with a jack stand and wooden block. Then gently work it loose. There are 2 line up dowels, so twisting it loose won't happen. Take note of the seal position, for installing the new one, also,, look at the hub for a groove. If so, you can either buy a new one, or set the seal a little deeper.  With caution... I can post more info as you go..

I strongly suggest that when you get the cover off, you make sure the 2 little pipe plugs in the fuel galleries are tight and sealed.. you will use a 1/4" drive ratchet to check them. Jojo

[Joey Mack]

I forgot... Remove the tensioner, there is a bolt behind it..

[JoeH]

Finally made time today to look into this oil leak... There's about a foot or more between the crank damper and the radiator so we figured we could do the timing cover without pulling radiator. Got damper off, hub seal was dry. But the 3 bolts on the driver side that hold the engine mount pedestal to the front engine cover were hand loose! So we torqued them back up to 70 ft lbs where they belong, and we'll see if the leak diminishes at all.  Between all our schedules right now and being in the middle of our busy season it's hard to shut down half the fleet for three days to do the front cover properly.  Hopefully the leak is reduced enough to hold off to the winter...