Timing Cover

Water pump is off correct?

If you have removed all the little nuts and the water pump and the crank pulley....you should be ready. Use a block of wood and hammer and start tapping around the perimeter. It'll be stuck on there and will need a little help to get started. Once you get it going...just keep it level coming off or it'll hand on the studs. Be careful and mindful of where you are placing that wood for hammering. Keep to the edges. Don't want to break out the casting by beating down the middle of the cover.

Best Regards,
John M

There will be nine 6mm nuts fastening the cover to the block; four on the rightside of the engine (leftside as viewed from the front) and five on the engine leftside. The top two on the leftside go through the waterpump. Dumb question but is the cylinder head off?

Oh yeah... forgot to mention, head is off, as well as waterpump....

I just ran out to the garage and counted the number of nutless studs around the perimeter... 5 on the driver's/exhaust side and 4 on the left/passenger side. Last night after posting this, I found the 5th on the right underneath the gunk surrounding the oil filter.

I tried tapping it with a hammer and a block of wood and it didn't even seem to be budging, which is why I thought that maybe there was something special to be done with the timing gear that sits inside the cover behind the waterpump. Guess not?

So basically, I should get somewhat violent with it using a hammer and protective block of wood?

Other than a missed nut or really good gasket sealer holding it on, how much 'grip' would the timing idler gear have in it's bushings?

Though I'd imagine if the crank gear were stuck a bit it would put a damper on things, but the cover should still crack loose regardless of that, correct?

Once the crank pulley is off...there is nothing else in regards to the shafts or gears that will be in the way at all. Just the front cover/water pump nuts really is all that necessary to remove other than the the head and the upper pan. Keep tapping side to side. You might consider carefully tapping a skinny flat head at the seam. Just don't go prying crazily and mar up the mating surfaces beyond repair.

Best Regards,
John M

It came off easily today. I just used a block of wood and a hammer and tapped it out.

Again, I was just worried about cracking and/or stressing something.

I'd like an alfa motor that doesn't leak anything, if only for just a little while.

That's easy, just don't put any oil in it or run through any puddles and you'll be just fine. (actually rumor has it that they can be built leak free)

when you are ready to put it back on, make sure all surfaces are cleaner than necessary, any silicon sealer you use will not stick to oil and cause oil leaks, some inside, some outside the engine.
found about this the hard way.
cliff

Good point. I was thinking of just using black RTV on it. Any reason I shouldn't?

Also, when sealing oil-holding areas like that, do you RTV both sides of the gasket or just one?

I would do both sides (not sure if the guru's will agree?).

I took the waterpump off on the weekend, and seems some oil leaked past the gasket. So this comming weekend im putting gasket sealer on BOTH sides of the new gasket

A friend turned me on to this stuff and it seems to work great....Indian Head Gasket shalac. It comes in a bottle with a brush. The first step is of course clean clean clean. Paint the gasket or mating surfaces on both sides and seal her up. Cleans up with acetone. Easy to use. And no leaks so far. Only RTV I used in my rebuild was on the grey for the reinz head gasket and the water pump rtv only on the seal between pump and front cover.

Surface prep is the key for no leaks. I use a flapper wheel on a slow speed drill to go over pans and front cover mating surfaces. Making sure to get the surfaces spotless. Razor blade and 600grit wet with wd40 on head and top of block. Then acetone (or mineral spirits) for a wipe down of all mating surfaces.

Best Regards,
John M

Indian Head Gasket shalac might be the same stuff. but if you do not want it to leak use what the jap cars use.
YamaBond aka Three Bond TB1194

I have used the Wurth dp300 which is nice to work with but had a few leaks with it.
the YamaBond will not leak..

but you do have to have it clean and use a rag with acetone one last time before you use it incase of fingerprints etc. if the rag get any black on it you did not have it clean.

Okay... got it...

well most of my mating surfaces will be cleaned by the machine shop. I'm taking just about everything in to have them hot tank them. I'll go over it one more time just before installation.

Any suggestions on where to find YamaBond? And this I use in place of black/red RTV? How about the water pump and intake manifold?

a yamaha dealer. it is also sold my permatex as "ultra grey" I have used it on my motorcycles, Alfa, and others for years. does not harden,is moderatly easy to remove, and sticks pretty good.
cliff

I got one of those refillable aerosol cans and spray everything with acetone, wipe with a clean rag, spray again and let dry. the hot tanking can still leave oil on everything.

oh yeah! i used permatex ultra grey on my cbr929rr when I had to replace the clutch cover (don't ask why).

it never leaked a drop!