The front cover is made of cast aluminum and has several features (refer to Figure 2-30):
• Mounting surfaces for the crankshaft front seal, water pump assembly, injection pump and accessory supports
• Sealing surfaces at the cylinder case and oil pan
• Cooling system passages
• A timing bracket for service purposes
During engine manufacture, the timing bracket is installed after the #1 piston is moved to its TDC position. This process involves balancing the positions of the #3 and #5 pistons in their bores. When the crankshaft is at the #1 TDC position, the timing bracket is aligned with the torsional damper mark and bolted in place.
The installation of the front cover has two parts. During the first part, the front cover itself has three upper and four lower bolts installed (see Figure 2-31, view A). These bolts have threads lightly coated with engine oil.
During the second part of front cover installation, the injection pump driven gear is aligned with the drive gear on the camshaft and mounted to the pump drive shaft with bolts. Then the water pump assembly is installed, using the following fasteners (see Figure 2-31, view B):
• Two studs and six bolts (lightly coated with engine oil), holding the water pump assembly to the front cover
• Three studs and two bolts (coated with GM P/N 1052080 sealant), holding both the water pump and front cover to the cylinder case
Note the proper installation of the two bolts used to hold the water pump and front cover to the cylinder case, since one is slightly shorter than the other one.
Refer to page 3-13 for information about the removal and installation of the crankshaft front seal.
