As the title says, I am not having luck getting the cover back on.
I just can't seem to get the bottom to seat right, are there any tricks to this? I can get one side to seat but not the other.
Edit to clearify:
It seems that the cover is butting up against the bottom of the block and that is preventing it from seating.

 

Are you trying to get the cover on with the pan still bolted to the engine?

Google search should yield some tips on how to get the cover back on in this situation. Anywhere from loosening the pan to trimming the inside of the timing cover.

 

Timing cover is designed to be installed before the oil pan is put on. It's not impossible to install the cover with the pan already on but it is tricky and does require a slight modification to the cover.

 

Ive read some tips on this. One suggested trimming the corners of the inner lip where the seal sits, but it did not indicate much more.

The other was to slightly drop the front of the pan enough to get it to slip on. Im hesitant on this because I cannot afford to replace a pan gasket, it would take too much time, and I don't have the tools to do it. This is my only car at the moment. This mess is my fault of course. I should know better than to leave well enough alone, but I needed to swap a defective water pump and thought what the hell its there, lets fix that small oil leak. Big mistake.

I don't like the idea of liberal amounts of rtv, but if I must drop the pan slightly that is what I will have to do.

 

Just back the pan bolts off a little, to drop the front enough for clearance. I've done it a couple of times and lucked out with the pan gasket re-sealing ok, even though it's not in great shape. Only added rtv at the ends of the lip seal, and left the pan gasket alone.

IIRC there are two different sizes of lip seal, thin and thick - maybe you need the opposite one?

 

As stated, you have to loosen the front of the oil pan, to re-install the timing cover


Your new gasket kit for the timing cover might have came with new end pieces to reseal the edges of the timing cover to the oil pan.. otherwise RTV.. and it will be fine.

the stock valve covers were installed from the factory with a bead of black silicone..

 

Thanks for the responses guys, I got it back on today. Ended up taking the first 2 bolts off each side and wedging a flat head in each. I also froze the timing cover and rubber lip seal to allow the seal to contract a bit, a small tap got the other side in. RTVed a small amount on the front of the pan and where the lip seal seats and seems to be holding up.