I've got my timing cover off right now to replace the gasket, & figured while I was in there I would tab the KDP, after cleaning the timing cover I found a scrape in the metal right about where the pin would have fallen out, & with a drop light looking in the hole I really couldn't tell ya if the pin was still there or not???? I went ahead & put the tab in place & used some loctite on the bolt, but I really don't know if I tabbed the pin or not?????? all the teeth on the gears looked fine & I couldn't find any cracks in the case, so I thought there might be a chance that the dowel pin had fallen out & everything fixed/replaced before I got the truck??? the previous owner didn't mention it, but if it started leaking oil I'm sure he would have just taken it to the dealer & told them to fix it (not real mechanically inclined) so I doubt he would know what,if anything was fixed??? I guess I'll just slap it back together w/the new gasket & keep on keepin on, the leak I had was a progressive leak, started with 1 or 2 drops here & there & just got a little worse over time until it got to a dozen or more drops everywhere I parked it & it was really making a mess of the driveway, so I don't think the kdp had anything to do with the leak I was originally fixing???? any thoughts/ideas, thanks, Dusty

 

Try a mirror to see in the hole. If it ain't there, you don't need the tab.

 

My cover bolts were all weeping enough to be giving the whole motor an image problem. I was afraid it was KDP related but the pin was fine and now is under detainment.
Since I re-sealed the cover it looks like a new engine up front and all the blow back oil on the rest of it is old, from before the fix.

So yes the leaking is from the cover seal.

 

Others here have said that sometimes the pin falls out and if you're lucky it will fall into the oil pan with no damage at all.

If you are lucky!!

 

i'm not so lucky, when reinstalling the two bolts that hold the spacer/bracket for the crank sensor, found one of the holes to be stripped?? (or so I thought) tried to heli coil the hole & still no luck, pulled the cover to find the cover was cracked around the bolt hole, so now I have pretty much the whole front end of the truck, bumper, brushguard, radiator, & soon to be a/c condensor & intercooler laying in the floor, guess I'll try & find a new case tomorrow & get the old one off, oh well, chalk up another victim to the KDP I guess, I'll try & get some pics of the case up soon, wish me luck, Dusty

 

Maybe as a small way to ease the pain write something appropriate in permanent marker on the inside of the case before the install.

Two or three words would do it I would think...

Jimmy

 

Some very knowledgable people here have said that the pin helps keep the timing gear case lined up even when the bolts are tight. So if your pin is missing, you may stand the chance of the housing going out of alignment. For the price of a new gasket, you could open it up again, remove the tab and stick a small screwdriver in the hole to check for the pin. I bet it'd take you less than 1/2 the time it did to install the tab the first time.

 

The dowels locate the timing case for proper timing gear engagement dimension - the bolts apply tension to the case for sealing and stability.

A missing dowel should be replaced to prevent gear meshing harmonics and side thrust forces from loosening the bolts.

If you cannot see the dowel, use a stick, wire, screwdriver, drillbit, anything to verify that it is in the bore prior to installing\sealing the timing cover.

 

What gasket?? I have done a bunch of these darn things now, and never used a gasket, just the special "grey" sealant.

 

I'm just "old school" I guess.

 

Yea, I hear you there!!