hole in my timing chain cover

[1967JMG]

So, this is what happened, my car was running a little hotter than normal a few nights ago. It wasn't to the point of overheating, but I had only driven it a couple miles. I popped the hood when I got home a looked around. There was no fluid coming from the overflow or anything, but I just happened to look down to see that there was oil everywhere and the was a hole in my timing chain cover a little over an inch in diameter and the bolt on the cam gear was gone. When we put my motor back together about a month or two ago now we torqued everything to spec and rechecked at least a dozen times. I dont understand how in the world this happened.

Has anything like this ever happened to anyone here on the forum?

I have a new cover and bolt. Should I put lock-tight or anything like that on there when I reassemble?
Thanks,JMG

 

[kukm66]

get some new bolts
I use blue RTV silicone instead of the gasket as it is oil resistant and easy to install

 

[drag-200stang]

1967JMG,

I always Loctite the sprocket, bolt and washer making sure that they're absolutely clean of oil first. I've never had an issue.

I would take a close look. I suspect something is not right. Starting at the cam, in this order you have the spacer, then the pin, the 2 bolt retaining plate, sprocket, washer and bolt, the 2 bolts that hold the cam retainer plate to the block. People sometimes forget the spacer and sometimes the pin because it doesn't come on the new cam.

P.S. the spacer bevel goes towards the cam

I've never used the double roller chain so I'm not sure if that sprocket can be put on backwards and cause trouble.

Please let us know what you find.

 

[1967JMG]

Thanks,
I will try to keep everyone posted. That was my next question(about the bevel) but you got it covered!
I looked at again. Everything seems to be on there in the correct order. The bolt just miraculously came out some how?
I will remove everything and inspect and clean before reassembling. I'm going to be taking off the oil pan too and cleaning it out to make there are no metal shavings in there. I suspect there will be.
One other thing. I popped the radiator cap a few nights ago when this all happened and noticed it was a bit low. Any ideas on where it went? There was nothing coming out of the overflow tube... And should I do a coolant and engine flush to make sure I clean out any metal debris?

 

[The Plankster Prankster]

I'm going to be taking off the oil pan too and cleaning it out to make there are no metal shavings in there. I suspect there will be.
One other thing. I popped the radiator cap a few nights ago when this all happened and noticed it was a bit low. Any ideas on where it went? There was nothing coming out of the overflow tube... And should I do a coolant and engine flush to make sure I clean out any metal debris?

sure can't hurt, but i would count it as unnecessary. any shavings in the pan will either be washed out as you drain the oil, or possibly caught in the oil filter, but would never be able to get downstream of the filter where its important.
but then i'm the son-of-a-truck who stripped the gear on my 300, and never pulled the pan to clean it, with the logic that most of the chunks would come out as i drained the oil (many did), and anything leftover wouldn't be enough to clog even 1/4 of the oil pickup screen, plus would probably wash out on next oil change.
as for the coolant, there couldn't be any metal debris caused by the problem you had, so i would find no reason to need that flush unless the system needed it before, which it sounds like that isn't the case. don't worry about it.

 

[JackFish]

I can't see that a properly torqued bolt would spin itself out.
Perhaps the cam bolt was missed? It really shouldn't required loctite, should it?

 

[80broncoman]

I can see it once it got loose every time the engine was cranked it backed out ever so slightly,...untill one day when the head of the bolt made contact with the cover and then all at once it unscrewed itsself though the cover.