1989 Electra/PA Front Cover Gasket Leak after Timing set change.

My Electra T-Type had been needing a new Timing magnet for about a year and was starting to leak oil pretty bad at the oil pan, so I decided to change the timing set and oil pan gasket.

This was a pretty drawn out job since I had another car to drive to work that gets 10 more miles per gallon, so the car sat in my garage with the front cover and oil pan off for several months.

Yesterday I decided to go ahead and finish the job. I got everything back together and started the car. It started after a few seconds and sounded like it was running nicely, but I looked under the car and it was GUSHING brand new oil out of the front cover where it meets the oil filter adapter.

At first I thought it must be the oil filter adapter gasket, so I bought a new one, put it on, and started the car again... Same gushing of oil from the same place.

I decided to take a closer look at where it was coming from, so I had my girlfriend start the car while I watched the area that the oil was spewing from and it appears to be coming from the from the bottom corner of the front cover.

This made me pretty upset because I had just spent about 3 hours putting everything back together, and it looks like I will have to take everything back apart again.

My Question is, What exactly should I do when I put the front cover gasket on?

The gasket set that I got came with a thin, blue, metal front cover gasket, an oil seal, a water pump gasket (I don't know why it had that because Id didnt have to take the water pump off), an oil filter adapter gasket, and 3 O-Rings that I am really not sure are for. The Oil pan gasket was black silicone rubber, it did not come with the set.

Was I supposed to do anything with the metal gasket to prepare it or seal it better? Is the oil pan gasket the right type for use with the type of front cover gasket I have? Has anyone else experienced this same problem?

I must have the most amazing luck.

I took the front cover back off the engine and made extra sure to clean the mating surfaces very well. I even took the water pump off as I had read others doing when they remove the front cover, which was a big mistake.

When I removed the water pump, the bottom-most bolt broke off, leaving about 2mm of bolt sticking out. I tried to remove it using vise-grips, but it didn't work.

Since I was already pissed off, I decided to just go ahead and put everything back together and cross my fingers that the oil leak would be gone and the water pump wouldn't leak.

Well, the oil leak is gone, the car runs great, but it leaks water like nobody's business out of that bolt hole where the bolt broke.

So, new question. What would be the best way to go about removing that broken bolt so I can finally get my car back on the road?

A reverseable drill and a left hand drill size. You so ever carefully drill that bolt shaft dead nuts center. You then drill past the length of the shaft.

This now will implode the the twist out that there is enough torsion to move the shaft off of the seized threads. It probably calcified or water logged that bolt or you where not careful on the re-torque?

Have that bolt out and replaced or write the car off. Buy an easy-out kit and keep working.... You are so close and fresh knowing the parts in hand. :runaround: :frown:

Well, I managed to totally mess up while trying to get that broken bolt out. I need a new timing cover.

I have found a Dorman part number RB635514 OEM repalcement cover, but it does not say it is compatible with my year and model of car.

However, it does say it is for a 3.8L V6 VIN "C" which is what I believe my Electra is. The photo looks just like the one I took off my engine, and the gasket set for this cover is the same for my engine.

What could be different about it that it would be incompatible with my car?

Ok, so I found out that that part lacks the camshaft button that my car apparently needs, but I did find a replacement for my original cover part number 25533496 in an online catalog for 75 bucks. All is well.

I now just need to find a replacement water pump bolt. Any ideas where I can get one?