Oh common Sean, I promise I'll take care of it. Will be right at home on a low mile GS350 Thank you for the generous offer, that is a fair bit of trust to say the least.
I bought an NOS for $150 (maybe less?) last year. That's serious hoarding. You need help.. I could help by taking one of them. 2 should be good, although I wouldn't mind having 3. I think I know where another NOS one is, but I'd better get on it. Seriously, to the OP, if you put a parts want ad on here, you'll have plenty of offers, probably even for an NOS and Sean is right about Cole and Bruno. Pat (BignastyGS) may have a good used one too.
Oh yeah I have about 20 engines and 12 vehicles... The good news is that I am not a REAL hoarder I am a fanatical collector... I only collect Buick 350 and LS engines, a real hoarder would pile up any old used engine they could. Plus I keep 3 spare engines ready to swap in just in case the turbocharger power hurts an engine LOL!
I went and looked in the garage and found 11 original timing covers so I guess I can sell one. Send me a PM with your address and I will get a shipping quote.. I recently gave away a crankshaft and a set of heads (free) to a father and son who did a stroker 370 inch Buick 350... hoarders don’t do that. Here are pics of the cover. Came from a 75 Buick 350 that I bought in Michigan and shipped to Canada... got a speeding ticket on the way from Michigan to the train depot to ship it before they closed. The engine was rebuilt 10 years ago and sits on my engine stand fresh ready to go as a spare. I even saved the steering wheel, glove box (now a garage shelf for my laptop), and the headlight bezels (picture frames) off that car... May it rest in peace, it is still at a junkyard the last I heard, hopefully not crushed.
I bought a TA cover, and I'm on the fence about using it only because if the SLIGHT binding I get when the dist. shaft and oil pump are engaged. by themselves, each spin freely I tried some of the suggestions from Tim at TA, bit it made no difference, so I cant return it I'm going to try a cover or two from Summit, now that I know what to look for
Them summit Chinese covers have not been much better . Some are drilled for 20 bolt pan v6 only . So you may need to drill and tap for oil pan bolts
I saved the glove box from a prior GS parts car that I made into a handy beer holder, made so it would even fold up when not in use! Thanks for checking you stash, PM on the way!
I'm going to try a cover or two from Summit, now that I know what to look for Ok Mark, I give up, what are you looking for? Not that I need a China cover, just curious.
Buy three, keep the best one, send two back! You may need to massage some room into the oil pump gear shaft tang slot.
Check gear depth also. Heard about one on a remanufactured engine that was .002 below housing. New cover.
FWIW I just bolted my new TA timing cover and oil pump housing last night. They're nicely machined quality pieces.
Figured I would add a conclusion to this topic since everyone loves a happy ending right?? Cover arrived and looked amazing, thanks to Sean for the awesome hookup! Utilizing Larrys new fantastic oil pump thread, I got to work.. Installed the gears, put a straight edge over, and no matter what combination of position or section of the straight edge I got .004 gear protrusion on one side, and .002 on the other. I split the difference at .003 and used the .005 gasket. We shall see. De-burred and added a booster plate, pump cover and we were in business! All was going well until the crank seal was being installed and crumpled a bit on itself.. guess I cant win them all. Mocked up for now to till I get around to fixing. Edit: Reread TA's instructions and step 2 mentions to remove the stake marks before installing the seal. The sheet even says "read these instructions carefully" Big oops on my part.
My '70 GS350 cover was like that as well. Freaked me out. Thankfully I had the one off my '76 still laying around. Took it out, cleaned it up, stuffed the 60lb spring, adj. press. reg. in as well as the booster plate and new gears, works like a champ.
Did you think of draw filing .002 off the high side? Feathering it towards the low side. Or maybe a honing stone. Maybe you could get that gear end clearance a bit tighter?
