S38B35 front cover is removable without head/box (archive)

Maybe I'm missing something, I've also done the job and a complete rebuild, but why would you remove the cam box, cams, head, etc. to do the front-right timing chain rail? The timing cover is a one-piece assembly attached to the front of the engine. You can leave the head/cam box in place and just remove the distributor, water pump, and crank hub to get to the front timing chain cover. Once off, everything is accessable, and yes, the circlip that holds that rail is buried under the cover.

BTW, would *highly* recommend replacing those white plastic guide rails. They get brittle with heat cycles/age and eventually break off just above the circlip that holds them. Mine did, ran through the cam chain sprockets, jumped the valve timing and ended up in pieces in the oil sump. Even if everything ran well, If I had 100k miles or more I'd pull those parts and replace them in a heartbeat. They are cheap white plastic--not sure what Motorsport engineers were thinking. Also, the Fahey hub is a worthwhile to replace since the hub has to come off, particularly if you're chipping and running higher or sustained RPM.

Greg K
1988 M5
1991 850 6spd

There is only the hard way.
You have to remove the cams, cam box and the head!

I have don the job on a M5 with the M88 single chain engine.

Follow Ups:

Re: S38B35 front cover is removable without head/b Mark 14:46 11/04/2001 (2)
- Re: S38B35 front cover is removable without head/b Greg K 18:07 11/04/2001 (1)
  - Re: S38B35 front cover is removable without head/b TedM5 22:12 11/04/2001 (0)

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