Okay, car is a 91 rs, tbi, 305, auto.

I got the harmonic balancer off and all I need to take out is the timing cover.
I took out the bolts holding the cover and the cover is seperated from the engine but it is still not coming out. Looks like it is held at the bottom.
I looked at the Haynes Manual and it is telling me that I might have to drop the oil pan. Do I need to lift the engine for this as if I was changing a oil pan gasket?
Is there an easier way? Can I loosen up the oil pan enough to where it drops a little to give me room to take out the timing cover? Help.

 

Yes, you have to lower the pan.
You might be able to get away with not removing the pan but you may end up having a leak after you get everything put back together.
Your gamble.

 

yes you can frequently loosen the oil pan ENOUGH , to allow the timing cover to be removed and replaced if you have the ONE PIECE SYNTHETIC OIL PAN GASKETS, if not the chances are much higher that the old cork, and rubber end piece style oil pan gaskets or front timing cover style gaskets might leak

 

Personally ive never had any luck with removing the timing chain without removing the oil pan too. Personally ide recommend getting a 2 piece timing chain cover to avoid this problem in the future if possible.

 

The front 2 pan bolts go into the timing chain cover. With them out, the cover can easily be removed. The trick is putting it back on. Because the timing chain cover is designed to be installed before the pan in installed, putting it on with the pan still on is very difficult. It's possible to notch the inner corner lips which will allow you to slide the cover over the pan front seal before installing the cover onto the dowel guide pins but there's no guarantee that the pan seal will still seal.

It's always best to drop the pan down or at least loosen it off to drop down a bit, install the timing cover then reinstall the pan.

2 piece covers are expensive and only really required if you do regular cam swaps or cam timing changes with offset dowels in the cam gear. You still need to drop the pan to install the bottom of the 2 piece cover.

 

Thanks for all your help. If I decide to take the oil pan out completely, how would I start.
I know the manual wants me to take out an exhaust pipe and more. Is there an easier way?
Loosen motor mounts, and jack the engine?

 

I just replaced my cam last week. I drained all the oil, loosened up all the bolts and droped the front end pan all the way until it hit the cross member and it was like taking off a baby's dirty diper. timing cover slipped off like a new born sliding through the birth canal.The real pain is trying to bolt up the pan since there is limited space on the sides of the engine area.

 

Okay, I got the cover out, WTF!! It's gear driven. Does gear drive suppose to make that whining noise? Who would put a gear drive on a 305? I know nothing about gear drives, so now that I can see it what should I check for?

 

OK. 1st of all, why did you need to take off the timing cover? Second- yes timing gears make a whining noise sort of like a superchager (the deal that looks like a turbo charger). 3rd, if your car has a knock sensor, I suggest you go back to timing chain because the noisey gears will confuse the knock sensor and your ECM will pick up the noise tell the ECM that "detenation" is occuring.

 

Thanks for all of your help.
Is the knock sensor to the left of the oil filter? I see where a plug suppose to go, but there's no plug....and there are two wires hanging down that are cut. If that is the location of the knock sensor, than whoever installed the gear drive removed the knock sensor.

 

The knock sensor is on the passenger side of the block just above the oil pan. Should have a single wire.

 

Knock sensor looks like this and it can be on any side. usually is on passenger side when it leaves the factory. And like the gentleman above said, yes its only one wire.

 

Is it difficult to go back to a timing chain? I messed up the oil pan gasket and now got to lift the engine to take the pan off. If I'm going to do all of this I might as well make it worth something. I hate the gear noise, can't even hear your stereo well.

 

not difficult at all your already there. just aquire the new chain and gears then send me your gear drive set up..lol

 

Damb taonindo. Sounds like you gotz ur self a free gear set. dtorre, you dont have to take out the engine to install a new oil pan gasket. It wuld be tough as hell, but I think you can wedge it in there without tearing up a new one. Does anyone agree with me?

 

wouldnt want to do it with the engine in...but i agree it can be done.

 

You don't remove the engine to do an oil pan gasket. You raise the engine about 3.5". There are many threads on here about doing it with the engine in the car.
I've done several. It's not what i'd rather be doing at any given time but it's not really that difficult.