Just buttoning up this project and thought I'd share a few discoveries. First was the condition of the top end. While I expected things to be in good order given the low mileage (36k), I was surprised by the cleanliness and lack of visible wear on anything. I'm more accustomed to opening up an old 3.8L twin cam to lots of carbon, so there's something to be said for computers and multi-port fuel injection.



It was sort of disappointing to find absolutely nothing amiss with the old guides and tensioners - just a bit of expected wear on the chain surfaces. I know this was necessary preventive maintenance, but at least give me a crack or two!



My thanks to George Camp and the JCNA tool loan program for the use of the crank holder and puller. A previous user had lost the puller thrust button that protects the end of the crank so I modified an old bolt to do the job. While the pulley bolt and pulley removal went with a hitch, reinstallation was another story. When removing the crank bolt I noticed a lot of resistance for almost the entire length of the bolt. Since the bolt threads appeared undamaged I attributed this to the thread locker, and unfortunately didn't give it another thought. When reinstalling the pulley with a new bolt I experienced the same resistance well before the bolt reached the pulley surface. With no pressure on the split cone I ended up rotating the crank while my pulley remained firmly locked in place. What should have been a 2 minute operation turned into a 2 hour 2 man operation, with one under the car holding the crank with a pry bar against the bell housing and a torque converter bolt. A word to the wise - be sure to tap the crank threads if you experience similar resistance when removing the bolt. Given the level of resistance I'm wondering if those threads were stretched versus thread locker being the culprit. Here's hoping the rest of the assembly goes smoothly.

 

I 'modified' a used crank bolt with slots cut along the threads for a 'thread-chaser' tool.

It cleans out all the old threadlocker and other debris.

I used it for years at the dealer and I still have in the toolbox.

 

That's better than a tap - should have been written into the manual after removing the bolt!

 

A small 'cut-off wheel' (death wheel) with several slices up and down the threads works fine.
Just use a small file to de-burr' the threads.

 

Doug, you have a unicorn, that is immaculate....when I got into mine, the guides were split and the bottom end in the oil pan and like most, 1/2 the tensioners were split. Being you've probably got her up on stands, can't hurt to drop the pan and run your finger around the inside of the oil pickup for any debris.

 

Everything's buttoned up - just need to add coolant and oil (I knew I shouldn't have quit for the day). I was going to skip the oil pan drop and inspection since everything was intact, but your suggestion is appropriate and appreciated. Will try to locate a gasket tomorrow and check the pickup.

 

It's a fixed gasket, just drop it, check the pickup, and put back on.

 

If I remember it's a U-shaped gasket that drops over a lip in the top of the pan. I'd rather spend a few bucks and replace than trust something that's been compressed for so many years. Another amazing thing about these engines is that after 25 years they remain leak free.