# 400/350 69 Engine Question



## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

I'm putting together an engine someone else took apart so I need a little help from someone who has overhaul experience.

My engine had no timing chain cover studs in the block. I know some of the 6 bolts that hold on the cover are studs. I'm going to number them left and right, looking at it and 1-3 from top to bottom, L-1, L-2, L-3, R-1, R-2, R-3.

The manual shows a picture of one stud, R-1, has a stud. Does anyone know which of the other 5 holes have studs as opposed to bolts? I see the power steering pump has a really long bolt that I assume goes into one of those holes, through the timing cover but I could use some advice on that too.

Thanks as always.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

It's not critical. You can build it with one, or two, or none. What really matters is getting the right number of fasteners in, at the right length, and properly tightened. The engine doesn't care if they're studs or bolts.

Bear


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

thanks Bear but the thing is, I want to button up the timing chain cover and the oil pan before putting the engine in the car. I'd like to know what gets tightened down now and what gets a bolt later, like the long one for the power steering pump. I don't want to take up a hole with a stud when a bolt is supposed to go in later. I'd like to do it right the first time and avoid having to do anything over.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

The power steering pump bracket does not bolt through the timing cover, so no worries there. It bolts to the block, and the pump bolts to the bracket. The long bolt will go to the block or head. I would install the bracket prior to installing the engine in the car to make it easier to see what goes where, since you are not super familiar with it. On my cars, the timing cover studs are always at the top of the water outlet holes on each side of the block. Not needed (bolts will do), but the factory studs makeit easier to guide the timing cover into place without shifting the gasket, etc.


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

That's kind of what I was thinking. So does anything, brackets etc., bolt onto studs or bolts that hold the timing chain cover?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

funbooker said:


> That's kind of what I was thinking. So does anything, brackets etc., bolt onto studs or bolts that hold the timing chain cover?


On my 69, there are only two bolts that have anything "extra" on them. One is the long timing cover bolt (or stud) on the top passenger side that has the engine lift "loop" (and in my case, part of the A/C compressor bracket since I'm running an aftermarket a/c), the other is the front half of the alternator bracket.

You can see both in this photo









Bear


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

picture's worth 1000 words, thanks. One more dumb question (for now) does the stud that holds the alternator get a nut for the timing cover and another one for the alternator or is there just one for both?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

?????? I've never seen an alternator stud mount to a timing cover on one of these engines. What am I missing here???


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

*alt. bracket*

On my '71 455, there is a large chrome alternator bracket which attaches directly to two water pump bolts. Then power steering attaches to that under it. PO must have installed that as an aftermarket chrome accessory package. That is absolutely the worst travesty of automotive engineering I've ever encountered! It is insanely difficult to get the pulleys to align properly, shim it here, shim it there. There's hardly any rear support! Love the chrome but hate the bracket...I want to put my old brackets on from the 326, but I doubt if it'll work...


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## etewald (Dec 27, 2011)

funbooker said:


> picture's worth 1000 words, thanks. One more dumb question (for now) does the stud that holds the alternator get a nut for the timing cover and another one for the alternator or is there just one for both?


I would just use one nut. (Hehehe one nut.....)


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

The alternator bracket goes on a water pump bolt - it's not a stud - at least that's the way it is on my 69.

Here's a better picture that shows how it all goes together









Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Correct. The same on the earlier cars. One of the top water pump bolts holds the bracket. On some cars, like my '65, it's the only bolt that does hold the top bracket in place. On my '67, the bracket has a different shape, and has another bolt that holds it to the intake as well. In either case, there are no issues with bolting the timing cover onto the engine and installing it in-car. As a side note, on the driver's side of the timing cover, under one of the smaller bolts there is sometimes a small bracket for the fuel line and/or fuel vapor return line. My '67 has this.


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