Starter method is generally easy and quick, saves scraped knuckles but not always a given that it will work, a club members late model ‘S’ didn’t succumb and he had to borrow a big as impact wrench from a neighbours workshop.
If you have an impact wrench and a 1-5/16” socket (probably 3/4” drive coupled to a 1/2”-3/4” adapter) you’ll be able to back out that bolt more easily.
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Problem is the engine is in the car. I have a cut down socket welded to a foot long piece of 3" by 1/4" flat bar. A few hits with a big hammer does the trick.
Yup, same principle. Iirc the torque spec on that bolt is 125 ft-lb or so (I will need to look that up myself soon) so breaking the inertia requires a fair bit of torque, best applied with impact energy rather than leverage. Of course, you still need to retorque the bolt when you put it back, and for that it’s best if it’s bolted down and hooked up to the rest of the drive train.
Alternatively, you can replace the stock bolt with a 12 point ARP damper bolt for a V8 Chrysler, V8 Olds or a V6 or V8 Buick (Olds and Buick shown on left) and eliminate the oddball 1-5/16" socket and the 3/4x1/2 adapter. Chrysler bolt shown installed.
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The ARP bolt has a 1/2" square hole so you can stick a breaker bar straight in with no adapters or sockets. It’s quite convenient however the bolt head is a smaller hex so the standard locking plate won’t work which makes me quite nervous. I’ve been meaning to try and make one for it.
Stop: millions of other engines used no lock plate.
Tighten to spec, and it will not come loose.
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Not all of the ARP bolts have the 1/2" square drive broached into the end, that’s a separate part number and they are more expensive. The square drive also limits the angle you can attach the breaker bar (to every 90 degrees). The 12 point double-hex on the ARP bolt gives you 30 degree increments.
There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY, >none<, that a properly torqued 3/4" damper bolt is coming loose. Not going to happen. Just look at how hard they are to remove! You can hang that lock plate on the wall and worry about something else. I’ve never seen one that was easy to get out, much less loose.
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You need the original washer, but not the plate. The lock plate bolts to two of the pulley bolts and just slips over the hex.
Ah. A confusion of terms. My bad.
Yup it was a little spendy. I didn’t feel terribly impeded by the limited swing angles. The fact that the bar dropped straight down nicely in front of the damper and well behind the picture frame made up for it. It could also swing from the top. But if the 12 point can do the same without having to use a precarious assortment of adapters then that is somewhat better. I just always hated having to attack it from over the picture frame. I’d inevitably mess up the paint.
If you scroll down to Glen Jarboe’s post in the old thread attached below, you will find a discussion regarding serious leaks resulting from ill fitting Teflon front seals (3.8 and 4.2 engines). Perhaps the seals are now specific to the E-type engines, but back then the outer edge was too thick to fit properly in the seal cavity, so on installation of the oil pan they distorted such that there were visible gaps around the crankshaft. (They would not always seek center when compressed upon oil pan installation). Another E-type owner in the DFW area made two attempts with the engine in the vehicle and both leaked badly. Both he and Glen gave up and installed the standard seal. My experience installing the seal with the engine on a stand was that the outer radius had to be carefully trimmed with a Dremel sanding drum so that it would fit properly in the recess. The one in my car does not leak, but I doubt I would have been successful trying to get a good fit with the engine in the car. As it was, I trial fitted the oil pan/seal several times to get it just right. Anyway, past experience is that the seal may or may not self center without fettling the outer edge. The photos from Glen’s experiences are in the old archives…there were visible gaps around the crank.
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A couple more questions::
By the way, the starter motor removal of damper bolt is the cat’s _ss. Worked great. Thanks for the suggestion
All the sump screws are out but seems it doesn’t move forward enough to drop from the block.
Must the damper be off first?
Do I have the adjust the stabilizer?
Once I have the sump off for the front seal replacement, any other suggestion of things I should look at or inspect before I replace the pan? Oil pressure seems low at 25 lbs at 3000 RPM hot. New oil pump? Inspect any bearings?
Suggestions please.
Can’t hurt to pull a rod and a main cap, to see how they look.
On my 3.8 the damper needs to come off but it’s bigger than a 4.2 damper so not sure. But if you want to change the seal so why not remove it now to give you more jockey space?
My crank has to be in a specific orientation so that the real lobe faces to the side, and it helps to fully slacken the stabilizer and jack up on the gearbox which buys another 1/4" or more of clearance. Not sure how to translate any of this to 4.2 though.
Same on a 4.2: disconnecting the stabilizer and lifting the engine helps the same way, as on a 3.8.
And that orientation would be???
About to do this on my 3.8, newly rebuilt engine. Leaks more out the front then the back.
BrianM
If you can believe it, I had a distance marked with tape on a long 1/4" socket extension which I used to establish the height of the number 1 piston. I haven’t been able to find that extension for some months though. I was told this measurement some years back here so if you do some searching on keywords you’ll probably find that thread.