The Magnum 5.2 / 5.9 Timing Cover Gasket Problem - Explanation And Repair Guide

Today it’s another detailed look at a very common problem on the Dodge / Chrysler Magnum V8 - the ever-failing timing cover gasket. Fear not - I’ll show you how to fix it.

[@GameOver-nt4eb]

Gotta say, this is the best, funniest, no bs, and informative video about this hair pulling project I've seen. You sir... Are a gentleman and a scholar. I applaud you!

[@frozensunset]

literally rambled the entire time... what do you mean

[@autoxinvr]

Epic video. Came here trying to figure out why I had two water pump gaskets in my set, left with more knowledge than I bargained for. Excellent work my friend.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Happy to help! And in case you didn’t figure it out otherwise, every set includes both the LA style and the Magnum style for some reason. I guess the gasket people find that easier than stocking two part numbers.

[@bearcalw]

Great job you are the man you taught me more than 5 minutes that anything I could ever read in a book thanks for everything

[@mbmcclure3579]

I’m doing this job right now on my 01. Very helpful video. Spot on comic relief by the way.

[@BShine-ei7hn]

I just got done doing this job. I have done it before (on an LA block) so I knew what I was in for but enjoyed the refresh. I really enjoyed your sarcasm.

[@cl18]

What's a LA block ?

[@sparkie5571]

@@cl18 basically the older version of this motor, before they used it in truck engines for the most part

[@cl18]

@@sparkie5571 o ok that makes sence I thought mabe u ment like the block is from la but clearly I was wrong thanks tho I love these 5.2 5.9 engines

[@EJBermudez]

I enjoy the humor along with the information. Thank you.

[@Peacebird98]

Welp, my 5.9 Durango has done exactly like you showed. Glad you also showed where to put the RTV for the gasket too. Had to do a similar job on my Camry, but the Dodge is about to take priority. Also loving the sarcastic commentary, it's great.

[@larryhutchens7593]

Great video, enjoyed the humor. Here are a couple of things I do, actually a little more. On those bolts that go into the water jacket: I use common pipe joint sealing compound, helps decrease the corrosion on the bolts. If you check the surfaces of the timing chain cover you would find that they are a bit warped after a few years in service. Mainly around the 2 round water passages. I resurface them on a large stationary belt sander. I think that with all the accessories they have bolted to the cover it gets a little bent. Gaskets: Once, and only once, did I find a really good cover gasket. It was well made & had silicon beads around the water jacket holes. Never found one since., On the timing chain flop: Cloyes makes a timing chain tensioner that works great.

[@jking772]

Thanks great communtary and got my job done....Well done sir. You saved mr a huge Headache.....

[@bearbaker5468]

I have a 2002 1500 with the bloody 5.9 and this helped so much. Thanks man!

[@TheVideosdedaniel]

Audio is good and so is the rest of the video and thanks for taking the time to do all this

[@ronnieo6867]

Great job sir, to the point, funny and btw, the audio sounds great. I replaced the water pump a year or so ago, guess I should’ve watched this and listened to you when you said replace the timing cover gasket when you do the water pump. Haha. Here we go,, again. Thanks and great job. PS, the torque of the balancer/crank bolt was hilarious. You should come over and narrate my job. Great video sir👏👏👏 PSS, almost forgot, you’re right about the bad plenum intake gasket, I changed that one to. I never knew there was a gasket under the intake until I saw it on those motors.

[@OverlandOne]

Thanks for this video. I am replacing the water pump on my 1998 dodge B1500 van 5.2 liter (a lot less room under the hood to work with) and I am also doing the timing chain and gears while this is ripped apart. I started all of this to just replace the thermostat and housing and decided to do the water pump since I was already in there and now that you showed I disturbed the timing cover gasket by removing my water pump, I am going to do that and since I have 108,000 miles on this van I might as well do the timing chain/gears too. What a job this has been, ha ha.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

All I can say is… ouch. I don’t know that I’ve had to do pump or timing cover on a van yet. I’ve done an intake - that was actually fairly easy… lol.

[@Thundarr995]

Use a good quality timing chain like a heavy duty Cloys or something good. I basically did exactly what you're doing to your van to my 96 Grand Cherokee 5.2L about 50k miles ago. 2yrs ago, I used the store brand timing chain and it was already went bad. This time I used a heavy duty Cloys timing chain. My jeep only has 155k on it. Hopefully it lasts for the rest of my Jeeps life. Another thing is 5.2L & 5.9L Magnum engines are interference engines. Make sure that your timing chain is exactly lined up with the marks. I'm sure you know what you're doing, but some people don't. If somebody didn't have the marks lined up,then put it all back together and started the vehicle. The only thing that engine would be good for is a boat anchor.🤣 The pistons would likely hit and bend valves. I just finished mine about 5 hrs ago, but I didn't start it yet,I'm letting the RTV dry before I put the coolant back in. Camshaft bolt is 50 FT/LBS. The big bolt on the crankshaft is 135 FT/LBS. Just in case you don't have the manual.

[@OverlandOne]

@@Thundarr995 Thank you for replying. I had already ordered a Cloys timing chain and gear set yesterday from Amazon. Good to know that is a good brand as I had not heard of them but the reviews were very good for this one. Yes, I know this is an interference engine but thanks for pointing that out in case I didn't. I have done more than a few timing belts but this is my first time doing a chain. Thanks for the torque numbers. I have the factory service manual on my pc but this saves me from looking those up. I wish you the best of luck with yours and hope you have no leaks. I would really hate to do all of this and put everything back together only to have to do it all over again, ha ha. Take care.

[@TokenTombstone]

Very helpful and I appreciate the humor.

[@tonyoliva167]

This helped with all questions

[@scecko]

Awesome video. Working on my 5.9 right now, snapped a few bolts and made myself a bunch of work. Appreciate the in-depth videos. 👌

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Intake bolts? Dumb design, annoying fix… I always break out the welder and say a prayer. Good luck.

[@scecko]

@@DeadDodgeGarage yep! The front right bolt snapped off... got luck with the other 11. Fingers crossed it works out. Can't say I'm not enjoying the challenge. Thanks! 😬

[@bixfrisbee2623]

Argh, I just sheared off the long top left bolt that goes all the way into the water jacket. Now I'll have to remove the timing cover so I can drill out the broken bolt.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@bixfrisbee2623 damn it! Hopefully it didn’t break off flush and you have something to grab. Those bolts tend to rust in that long section through the timing cover so maybe that’s where it broke and the threads are workable. I don’t drill and extract, I go straight for the welder. I show that technique in my Magnum intake video, as those end intake bolts often break. Obviously if you don’t have a welder handy that won’t work. Good luck…

[@Bseries_Vans]

​@@DeadDodgeGarage9:12 what do you mean about the seal there

[@markworkman9224]

Best video yet, felpro makes a metal rubber gasket that kinda just fixes the leak issue. Those long bolts get seized in the cover sometimes and man is that a nightmare. I broke one and the only thing that got it out was lots of heat and a knurl style stud extractor with a 4’ breaker bar.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Wow… I think I’ve only had one of the long pump/timing cover bolts break, and luckily there was enough of it left that I grabbed it with vice grips and it came out. I haven’t seen that style gasket for the timing cover. That sounds like an interesting solution.

[@kriskeller9506]

I get the privilege of doing this very same job... poor ol' thing. I appreciate all the knowledge and pointers that you share on here. Thank you very much!!!

[@brianlook6306]

I now have one to hang on my wall of shame. Thanks for the video!! It encouraged me to complete the job myself!

[@weswes4103]

Great video really helpful

[@israelcontreras5332]

Awesome stuff! Just found this channel. I bought a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab slt awd 5.9 liter a few months back…just changed the harmonic balancer.

[@jjundt]

Thanks for the video, this helps a lot.

[@jameypruitt5543]

Thanks my man made it so even I could do it

[@limestonecowboy9219]

I use permatex Indian head gasket sealant on all the paper gaskets. Never had a failure in 25 years.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Good stuff. Smells like steak sauce. Looks like steak sauce. Mmmmm…. Lunch time. I like it, but don’t use it myself.

[@ali24B]

Just gained a new subscriber!

[@thetesseract2237]

Thanks a lot for this video. I was able to do the water pump and timing cover successfully. Wether it works or not is a different story

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Well… let us all hope for the former. You bet.

[@thetesseract2237]

@@DeadDodgeGarage good news, it works…. For now at least lol

[@YackOff]

Subbed! Great tips

[@schraubenschussel]

Really like your way of talking and explaining :D A bit funny, fast to the point and useful info. Sub is out ;)

[@adamkeith3625]

Dang, that was funny. Very informative but absolutely hilarious.

[@cavalierliberty6838]

I hope i never end up needing this info, but holy jesus, the step up in necessary mechanical knowledge from the chevy small block to the dodge is a real lulu.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I really don’t see them as all that different, personally. We built a Chevy once. Haha.

[@torquedtahoe8735]

Your an awesome teacher 🤣

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Well… I’m doin my best. Haha

[@adamkeith3625]

I love the sarcasm he's got going.

[@samuelpeterson6038]

This dudes great!

[@bigdawg4688]

Thank you for this video wish I would of seen this before I did my water pump on the zj 😩

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Dang it. Yep… I learned the hard way myself.

[@FrenchmansFlats51]

ive done a few of these magnum 318 water pumps myself and cannot recommend your video enough. any pump replacement must nclude the timing chain gasket. if i can add some small things, put permatex blue around the water pass thrus on the timing cover gasket, and black everywhere else. the blue is much more resistant to hot water and will preserve the gasket at the blow out points. i learned that from working on diesels. also put water sealant on all the bolts holding the timing cover, as they end inside cooling channels n the block. good job bud.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I don’t give the gaskets the full silicone treatment. It’s personal preference, but mine is to let the gasket be the gasket. It has worked well for me so far. There are definitely spots where I do go full on with the silicone. Paper gasket thermostats always leak in my experience, so that’s a big one… I also don’t seal the threads on the wet bolts. I probably should, but again, personal preference and it has worked well so far. Thanks!

[@jorgepuga2303]

Thank you!

[@mikekerr4594]

My truck was leaking coolant from the front passenger side of the block. I could see a mist coming from the exhaust manifold . Only the engine side of my belt like half the belt was wet.

[@Osbaldorojas]

Greta video question tho do I put sealant and gasket on the pump and also the timing chain cover ?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You don’t need to at all. I only use little dabs to hold the gaskets in place for assembly.

[@joshuafoughtatjericho]

Great video and audio. I had my bypass hose, thermostat, and water pump replaced by a shop, but after the winter and some hot weather now using the a/c and hauling I developed a leak in the same area. I’m out of ideas and frustrated. Any ideas? Could it be a simple loose bypass hose clamp?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

The biggest leaking problem I have has there is thermostat gaskets. Not all parts store gaskets are created equal. Many don’t have the oval bolt holes to allow room for the little tits on the thermostat housing / water neck. I often have to oval out the holes with a hole punch. There are other possibilities, but that’s the spot I see leaking time and time again - aside from the timing cover below it.

[@joshuafoughtatjericho]

@@DeadDodgeGaragethank you sir!

[@LThill-ks2uz]

reading this as i did all this last year and learned all this the hard way. However, this time Ive discovered (thru dye, and tearing all apart to watch), I have a tiny slow leak apparently at the manifold , just near the bypass hose. Im dreading replacing that gasket and i didnt know water flows freely under the manifold. Do you have a video explaining that task?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes, I do! You can find it in my Magnum playlist, or by searching KZbin for dead dodge garage magnum intake.

[@weswes4103]

And I have one more question the kit also came with a tube of pro lock 2 and a small rubber seal and some small metal cup thing do I need that stuff

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Other than a new front crank seal, I don't know what else would be in there that you need. I feel like the Felpro kit I usually get comes with the gasket, the front main seal, and a tube of the cheap sealant and that's it.

[@henrylewis608]

remind of dead pool but as a mechanic lol. Great vid!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Wow. That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me. 🥹

[@AlanTeed]

Could you please explain why Fel-Pros timing cover gasket “must be used” in conjunction with their oil pan gasket? Do I need to replace both gaskets? Thank you! Your channel has helped me quite a bit with my 5.9!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Because the correct way to do this job is to remove the oil pan at the same time. Extreme care must be taken to not ruin the oil pan gasket, and it’s tough to get the timing cover back in and aligned correctly with the pan in place. Some dabs of silicone will definitely be necessary in the corners where they meet. I have done this many times without removing the pan (including when I made this video.) It works… but it’s not ideal.

[@AlanTeed]

@@DeadDodgeGarage you rock! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and explain. Looks like I’ll be doing both

[@AlanTeed]

Ended up turning it into a whole ordeal and slapped the Hughes plenum kit in as well. New timing chain/sprockets, water pump, etc. Runs like a champ. I attribute your knowledge and videos to the success of the project. Thanks again, dude!

[@jamessawyer8744]

Lol I jb welded that tube on the water pump cause it leaked. My new pump didn’t include the tube and I just did what I did. It works great!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

If it works it ain’t dumb! They never include the tube and they really should, because they’re always screwed up.

[@jamessawyer8744]

@@DeadDodgeGarage yeah man thanks for your video!!

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

Did you use permatex thread sealer on some of those bolts? Id recommend it on those ones that leak coolant out when removing, im In the midde of a timing gig on a 98 Ram magnum 360 the bolts busted of 2 of the AC pumps mount ruining the ac alternator bracket. Some dingleberry didnt use anti seize on the cast aluminum. Cant find a reasonably cheap replacement. Wish me luck appreciate the vid. Some people need the tutorials cheers

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I don’t use sealant on those bolts - or the exhaust manifold hardware on various engines that go into coolant. That is not to say that sealant is a bad idea. But the only time I’ve ever had one leak was around a heli coil. I also don’t use anti seize, ever. The factory didn’t use it on those either. Again - that is not to say it’s a bad idea. Good luck.

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

@@DeadDodgeGarage in fairness, I have done it before without. So with these things, you get lucky more often than none. They are runners. I'm not saying how great but they die hard

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

Did your replacement temp sender read correctly? Mine reads warmer than normal. I have a new t stat and water pump and it read normal before on the original sender.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

No chance that the thermostat change caused that? Was your gauge usually reading straight up before and is now usually reading higher? I can’t say I have ever had one obviously read incorrectly after I replaced it, but a defective replacement part is far from unheard of.

[@tylergeorge9266]

Would you know why I would have coolant leaking out of my timing cover ? Doesn’t look like I have a blown head gasket I have a 4.7 Ram 1500 just thought that was weird

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Gasket failure. Probably… I have seen many of the water pump gaskets on 4.7s leaking, but the timing cover gasket could do it too.

[@UopuvJq]

I just got done replacing the water pump and this video showed up. Really wish I had seen this before I put it all back together. How will I know if the timing cover gasket gave out and needs to be replaced.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

There will be signs... namely, little trails of coolant streaming down the block to the sides of the timing cover.

[@kellismith4329]

Did you say you dud one on the intake gaskets ? I couldn’t locate it, I just did the intake and timing and hoses etc and am revisiting to see if I messed anything up to cause excessive coolant pressure 30 ft lbs for those front bolts

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I did. It’s called “The Magnum 5.2 / 5.9 Intake Manifold Gasket Problem” and I was able to find it by searching KZbin for “Magnum Intake Dead Dodge Garage”

[@kellismith4329]

@@DeadDodgeGarage got it, thanks 👍

[@5oh.ghoull]

I'm not sure if I should change my timing chain or not? It has a little less slack than the one in the video. I just don't want to mess up any sort of timing if I don't have to, thank you ;)

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

If it’s not too floppy, personally I’d leave it alone. Haha.

[@kennythomas9066]

so I have to my 97 dodge 5.9 gas, looks like I need timing parts standing by also especially with 280 k miles correct?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Probably a good idea. That’s a lot of miles… I am doing another one currently and it’s getting a chain. It’s quite loose.

[@brentvonrueden399]

Maybe I should look a little closer at my Jeep before I put the radiator support and radiator back in. Could be a good time to change the gaskets and wp

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Definitely - if the timing cover gasket looks suspect at all now’s your chance!

[@weswes4103]

I have to do this to. Do I have to put RTV on the water pump anywhere if I use the gasket? And on timing gasket do I spread the RTV with my finger or is there a certain way to do it?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You don’t have to use any. I only use a little rtv to hold the timing cover gasket in place. I just dab it on with the rtv can tip. If you want to spread some around the water ports on the timing cover that’s your call. Any excess is going to squish out as you tighten the bolts, so you don’t want to use a ton.

[@weswes4103]

Ok thanks. But I still should use some on the Timing in gasket right?

[@lazybiker234]

I have a very serious question for you. I bought a 1997 Dodge Dakota 5.2 and the water pump was clacking like it was going out. I changed the water pump and accidentally put the long water pump bolts in the short bolt holes. Due to my "not believing I had them in the wrong holes" I cranked hard on them and ended up breaking the cam sprocket. When I started the motor after changing the pump it ran for one second and then died. Myself and a few friends tried starting it before I tore it apart and discovered the broken cam sprocket. My question is this: When we were cranking it with the broken cam sprocket broken (only crank turning, without the cam turning) did I effectively blow the motor?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

At worst, you could’ve bent a bunch of valves. If you sent a bolt all the way to the gear, you must have also punched a hole through the timing cover, but that’s probably not the end of the world. Fix timing and try it - if it backfires and does horrible stuff, you bent some valves and will need to remove the heads.

[@billcat1840]

Get a shop manual ..I made a good living fixing home mechanic boo boos. 😁

[@ytelpeloncito5151]

Just did the water pump on the 5.2 zj. Started scratching by head when i was still leaking coolant. First time doing the job and just found out i got to to this other gasket. I thought the block had a hole it Crack somewhere. Lol

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Well at least it’s not that 😅 yep… been there a couple times… thermostat always leaks too.

[@weswes4103]

Will you send me water pump link of one that come with heater tube

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

They don’t usually come with the heater tube. I buy the Dorman replacement separately, which is part number 56399

[@Trials-and-Tribulations]

Great video. Dig fun humor too kinda like bob burgers😅. I have a 3.9v6 02 Dakota overheated entire front went out. Thermostat tensioner idler pulley radiator cap waterpump. Previous owner never replaced anything. There's a leak at the balancer. Once got truck home. After i replaced parts above. Ive talked to it hug truck told it be good please be fixed.😅😂 She still leaks at the same spot damn it. 😅 lmao My stepfather stop by ask hows it going if I need help. I Chuckled abit. He told me pour coolant in because its low 😮. He saw the leak as i put coolant and he told me the timing cover is crack tiny abit at balancer. From watching this I sure 🙏🙏🙏 its a bad timing cover gasket and seal. Is it common for time cover to crack. After i turn engine over the truck. Made odd sound like plasticky not wanted kick over. Like how a starter teeth not want to grab flywheel to start My starter and alternator is good. Taking everything again aint bad i can probably do it in less time now. On top of the leak at the cover my Heatercore blew also both driverside and passenger carpet is all wet. My relatives asked if Im sure the core blew. Told them yes, because my garage locked unless someone broke in and peed on the carpet😅😂 What is the rtv you used on the timing cover and waterpump? My old waterpump I took off had orangey red rtv instead of the proper gray rtv.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That all sounds… bad. I have no idea what you’ve got going on… multiple bad things it sounds like.

[@smokeythehuman3596]

Now what if my harmonic balancer was so out of whack it wore a hole into the cover? I could be wrong but assuming it's the timing cover, would I be okay to take off the harmonic balancer and slap some JB weld on it or take the cover off and replace it completely? Only mentioning maybe JB welding it cause Including purchase price I've probably put close to around 10k into it and don't have a lot of money to put into it again

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Did the rubber in the balancer go? Or is there something else horrible going on? I’d say jb weld and a new balancer is an acceptable solution - as long as that’s all that happened. Nothing but crankcase pressure and splash oil behind the cover. Jb weld should be fine.

[@smokeythehuman3596]

@@DeadDodgeGarage it was rubber balancer , could wiggle it by hand when engines was cold , had it replaced and dude didn't say anything, thinking I can jb weld it without even taking it back off but would be much easier with it off I'm sure just wasn't sure if that's acceptable or not

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@smokeythehuman3596 obviously ideally you would replace it, but I think you can get away with that.

[@smokeythehuman3596]

@@DeadDodgeGarage well yea and honestly might just let it go till I have to money for a new cover and to have the timing and stuff behind the cover done , cause it hardly leaks at all and still runs good

[@calebdavis9175]

What was that seal you replaced on the housing where the water pump goes. I'm wanting to replace all my cooling components because of an SMOD issue I fixed. It left a bunch of nasty residue inside the cooling system that I want out. Didn't realize I needed to change the timing cover gasket as well.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Do you mean the front crankshaft seal? I don’t know what else you could mean really.

[@calebdavis9175]

@@DeadDodgeGarage I believe that was it. You took the cover off for the water pump and right below where the water pump goes is a hole that looks like a wheel bearing goes in it. You're messing with it at 9:05

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@calebdavis9175 Yep, that's the front crank seal.

[@calebdavis9175]

@@DeadDodgeGarage thank you sir

[@calebdavis9175]

​@@DeadDodgeGaragealright so I'm finally about to do this to my Durango. When you added the gasket sealer to hold the timing gasket in place, was that necessary? Does that gasket 100% seal everything? I just don't want to have a leak when putting this thing on. I'm a bit nervous, can you tell?

[@frankoest8495]

1998 Dodge Dakota 5.2, Coolant leaking through the Blue rubber seal , near the counter balancer , wipe the blue seal @ the bottom of it , leaks , wipe with a rag--drips again --wipe --drips , engine Junk ?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

A leak from a seal doesn’t tell me an engine is junk. It tells me a seal is. The only rubber seal that should be near the balancer and might potentially be blue is the oil pan gasket. If this is where you’re finding coolant, it is running down from above - most likely from the timing cover gasket, which, as I have described in this video, is a very common problem.

[@petrileinonen3608]

My 318 la leaks coolant from timing cover.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I’ve seen that a good few times, but it hasn’t been as prevalent as the Magnum leak.

[@lukebray2192]

How do stud bolts go back on the timing cover?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

The shoulder studs go in the lower holes, pointing outward. I think they only fit one way. There should be one longer one on the passenger side and two shorter ones on the driver side - if it’s the same as the LA I just did, anyway.

[@lukebray2192]

@@DeadDodgeGarage On the drivers side the short ends of the stud bolts sticks out. On the passenger side it looks like the long end sticks out. Thats kind of confusing.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@lukebray2192 I know - but it's gonna be fine. Haha. There often isn't even anything attached to the passenger side stud.

[@tylerladerach769]

bro i had the same issue with the gasket couldnt figure out how to pulled the cover so i just put a weld over it 😭

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

😮 that doesn’t sound ideal…

[@noahshaffer695]

15 mm after taking off ignition coil for tensioner

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

For the third bolt on the head? Interesting, I thought the bracket bolts were all 14MM. The center bolt on the tensioner is 15 I thought.

[@LifeSavingDefense]

I always make a template on cardboard or whatever with a drawing of water pump etc and stick the bolts in the cardboard where they go so I don’t have to wonder when I put it back together

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Great technique. I’ve used that before. On jobs I don’t know as well as these, I bag and tag everything, and take reference photos. On these things unfortunately I just know where everything goes. Haha.

[@KennyCoin]

I wish I would have seen this before I took apart my jeep the first time. I got 'extra bolts' out the ass and they vary each time. This is the last time i'm doing this and ALL the bolts are going back on whether I like it or not. I will definitely be using your technique for finding where they go before I have to worry about sealer drying and 'not having time to mess with it' (a.k.a i'm tired and making excuses)

[@emmettwalker8268]

I am doing this in the morning to my truck which is leak there

[@tman3944]

How did you know that the timing cover failed?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

The trails of coolant trickling out of both sides of it were good hints!

[@tman3944]

@@DeadDodgeGarage thanks

[@regdor8187]

And what did you do with those bolts that went into the water, hummmmmm ??

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I wasn’t very thirsty that day, so I used a magnet on a stick.

[@kurtisdenny1411]

Jack? From jack n the box?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You’re not the first to say that, but it’s been quite a while 😅

[@jkinghar]

My good man, did you just sneak a Clutch lyric into your video? Bully for you.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

👀 maaaaybe… Ok definitely. Haha.

[@jkinghar]

@@DeadDodgeGarage That's all good, when I bought my 73 Swinger years ago, I quoted "Spacegrass" in the post I made on Facebook

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@jkinghar my favorite thing about it is that he says he’s got the top down, but we both know that’s not an option in ‘73. Haha. I’ve actually seen them twice, and the second time they played Spacegrass and I was way too excited about it.

[@thomasandbethanygriffith892]

Lovely satire

[@moparnut6286]

There are several issues going on here 1 the timing cover has no dowels for alignment hence it can slide over time the timing cover has to be installed and the balancer needs to be placed on to make sure it's centered! 2 you must sand the water passages openings in block with 220 so the gasket has something to grip too the timing cover water passages openings also need sanding with 220 for a surface that holds the gasket this is because of the no dowel pin issues using a high tack or high temp red silcone helps but must be used sparingly... I have an 05 Ram to do soon...and yes this problem has been around since the first mopar small block was made.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

2005? 4.7? They do have similar gasket problems - but it’s a much different design. The Hemi has O ring type seals. Some 4.7s do behind the timing cover as well. All 4.7 pump gaskets are a flat type and I have seen many leak. It’s not that I haven’t seen similar leaks behind the cover on older LA engines, but the gaskets don’t seem to break like these do. I really think the common failure here is down to the weird fiber material they made these gaskets out of. Regular old paper seems to hold up to the abuse a bit better. I do mention the lack of dowels and centering the cover on the balancer in the video. I don’t sand either surface. That’s above my pay grade. I haven’t had any comebacks…but of course I’ll say that and this one will leak in a month.

[@moparnut6286]

@@DeadDodgeGarage the main thing is surface finish and gasket quality which today quality is scarce! then add in how people do not maintain the cooling system as the coolant ages it can turn into an electrolysis liquid that can eat away at the aluminum and cause pitting and gaskets to fail...the GM northstar is a perfect example it had no dowels to hold the heads in place. It is very easy to sand the the small block mopar water passages using a small DA 2in sander just a bit of extra insurance against leaks along with making sure to use the correct torque on all bolts. And Mopar small blocks are not the only ones that have these issues. All machined gasket surfaces have to meet a certain surface finish for proper sealing there is such a thing as a too smooth a surface.

[@weswes4103]

Someone told me I have to use RTV because my gasket came with it

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Sorry, I omitted a detail. You do need to use RTV at the bottom corners where the cover meets the oil pan. That is why they include it with the kits. You don’t need to slather the entire gasket with it or anything.

[@weswes4103]

Thanks

[@hxlize4913]

i put a dorman water pump in my magnum 5.2 when i was young and dumb and im sure ill pay the price when i have to open that bastard back up

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

But not because the dorman pump fails, because the timing cover gasket does… surprising it hasn’t yet frankly. Maybe you’re in the clear. Haha.

[@hxlize4913]

@@DeadDodgeGarage 130k strong. burning oil like a motherfucker 💪

[@jimsperlakis5634]

You went thru All that effort, and Expense, for the gasket and Ignored the bad Timing Chain? Shame on You.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You must not look at a lot of timing chains. Lol.

[@natureandrandomstuff]

I am looking for a serious guy showing me how to fix my car. No trying to be funny, just someone walking me through the process of fixing the problem. Thank you anyway.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Then you’re in the wrong place, because my personality doesn’t have an off switch. Good luck.

[@natureandrandomstuff]

@DeadDodgeGarage yes sir and I didn't continue watching the video. Is not your personality because I don't know you. I just don't think you're funny, and I think you're trying too hard to be. Is your channel, and you can do whatever you want. I like to always give feedback, good or bad, but always with the best intention and without trying to be disrespectful, and I apologize if I did disrespect you.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@natureandrandomstuff The thing about comedy is that it is subjective. That would be your problem right there. "I enjoy the humor along with the information. Thank you." is literally the comment right underneath yours. Scroll down a bit farther and we've got "Spot on comic relief." "Great job sir, to the point, very funny." "Dang, that was funny." So is the issue here me? I don't think so. Enough people have told me that I should have been a comedian or that I should try stand up comedy for me to understand that SOME people find me funny. Not everyone is going to, and that's fine. Now, understand something else... I made this video a long time ago, I was in a hurry, and I was being pretty ridiculous. My more recent videos are a better representation of my actual self. These videos now pay me more money that I have ever made from a job, by a lot, and it's going one way. So I'm not planning to change what I'm doing. I am who I am, and these videos show that, warts and all.

[@natureandrandomstuff]

@DeadDodgeGarage you said it. It's subjective. And my comment is my opinion and in my opinion you're not funny. Happy Easter.

[@bud6259]

If you think your funny you're sadly mistaken.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Just about 10,000 people seem to disagree with you, but thanks for playing. It’s actually been quite a while since I’ve gotten a stupid comment like this! So that’s progress.

[@Bseries_Vans]

9:11 what dou you mean

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

About more than just the seal being bad? A majorly grooved harmonic balancer, a bad cover to balancer alignment issue, or tons of crankcase pressure come to mind.

[@Bseries_Vans]

@@DeadDodgeGarage lol yes I get ya now

[@Bseries_Vans]

​@@DeadDodgeGarageis the front main seal supposed to sit flush with timing cover or does it stick out a lil bit??