I was asked by Cliff to do a writeup on a front end rebuild so for anyone that ever needs to do one here is a bit of a guide. Hope it helps.
V8 304 Front Rebuild
This is for a front motor rebuild for your V8 304ci Injected 5L rebuild. This is all in my own words and all off memory so if you have anything you have thought I have left out then don’t hesitate to shout out as I wrote this as I did my rebuild.
Things needed before rebuild
- Front timing cover and front main seal kit - $7.95 from Sprints
- Sump gasket kit - $12.95 from Sprints
- Tube of Ultra Blue gasket sealant - $19.95 from Sprints (I think, maybe less ???)
- New AC Pulley if needed – $28 from Autobahn
- New AC Belt, Alternator Belt, Power Steering Belt if needed
- New Water Pump if needed – $76 from Sprints
- 10L’s of coolant, I get the Tectaloy stuff you mix up and DISTILLED WATER not tap water - $20
- New thermostat - $14 from Sprints, do not worry about a gasket is not needed
1. First thing do to is to drain your radiator. Easiest way is to just undo the bottom radiator hose off of the radiator and hold the hose down so all the coolant runs out.
2. Then take the top and bottom radiator hoses off completely. Make sure you tighten the clamps on the hoses after you have removed them just so the clamps don’t go walk abouts.
3. Next you want to undo the alternator bracket bolt and the top bolt that goes through and out the back. Then you want to push the alternator gently towards the fan to take the tension off on the belt.
4. Next you want to remove your clutch fan. A 13mm ratchet spanner is the best but a 13mm open ender will do also. If it hasn’t been removed in a while you may want a long flat head screw driver also. You want do undo the 4 bolts on the front but if you try to turn them then hold the screwdriver on two bolts so it can’t turn and crack all the bolts and take them out.
5. Then undo the two bolts on the top of the fan shroud and pull the shroud up at the same time as the clutch fan. Make sure you pop the fan of the pulley first.
6. Then you should be able to pull the alternator belt off and the front pulley off the water pump.
7. Next thing you want to do is to remove your radiator. There should be two clips in the side you need to remove. One on each side. Then you want to remove the lines from the transmission which should just have screw clamps on anyways. Then you should be able to lift it straight up and out. Make sure you turn it upside down to ensure all coolant has been removed.
8. Next thing you want to remove is the water pump. There are 8 bolts that hold it on. You want to carefully crack them and then remove them being careful not to break any heads off. Once you have removed it you want to put it down and then clean the face of the timing cover where the pump connects ensuring the face it smooth and flat.
9. Next thing you want to do is remove your power steering belt. You do this by removing the bolts in the bolts. There should be 4 but you may get away with cracking 2 and completely removing 2 so it has the chance to pivot slightly to remove the tension off of the pulley so the belt can be removed.
10. Once this is done you want to remove the AC belt. You do this by removing the tensioner completely which is the bolt directly in the middle of the tensioner pulley. Once this is done it should make belt removal possible. If your belt hasn’t been changed in a while and doesn’t want to come off a knife or clippers make belt removal pretty easy.
11. Once this is done you have direct access to the harmonic balancer. Best way to remove it is a 24mm impact socket with a heavy duty rattle gun and a decent air compressor. Over a 3.0hp compressor is best. A 2.0hp compressor just won’t have the kick needed to break the nut. And then remove the nut from the harmonic balancer.
12. If you do not have a rattle gun, get a 24mm impact socket and a decent breaker bar and put the breaker bar on it. Put a chunk of 2x4 wood on the support rail and sit the breaker bar on top of the wood. Disconnect the coil lead so no spark goes to the motor and hold the breaker bar as someone cranks the motor. Make sure you have a decent breaker bar otherwise it will just bend. If you don’t have one long enough put a pole on the end and hold it on the ground. It is going to turn clock wise so you want it on the passenger front side other it is going to flick upwards if on the other side and there is a lot of power in the crank. So be careful. That will definitely crack the bolt.
13. Loosen the bolt nearly the entire way and then get a harmonic balancer pulley on it and take it off. That is the harmonic balancer removed. Make sure to connect the coil lead back now as you may forget afterwards.
14. Once this is done there should be 6 bolts under where the water pump sat and 2 in the sump that hold the timing cover on. Once these are removed then the cover should be able to be removed. Make sure you clean the rear facing of the timing cover to ensure it is smooth. In the front of the timing cover is the front main seal. You want to remove it but they can be a bit fiddly. There is a special pick you can buy but a pair of flat nose pliers seem to do the trick for me. Once this is off the fun begins of rebuilding.
15. First thing you want to do is to put your new front main seal in. It is pretty simple. Make sure the hole is clean and then sit the seal in the timing cover level. It is best to put it on your wheelie bin lid so when you hit it the force bounces off the lid rather than directly on the cover which could crack it. Put a piece of 2x4 or something wooden over the seal and then get a rubber mallet and hit the wood forcing the seal in. It should go in relatively easy. So don’t go crazy on it. Then get a little fresh motor oil and oil the front face of the seal and put a little in the rear of it and turn the cover to coat the seal.
16. Then you want to get your new timing cover gasket and sump rubber. Make sure all traces of the old ones are gone and that the face of the block is smooth. Then put the timing cover back on and ensure it lines up with the guide pins. Put the 2 sump bolts in first and then the 6 bolts under the water pump starting with the top 2 going down.
17. Next step is to put the harmonic balancer back on and make sure you put it on dead level and then tighten the bolt up as firm as you can. You do not need to go over board as the motor will tighten it more when it starts but you don’t want it loose either.
18. Next you want to put your water pump on. You want to get your ultra blue out. You put the ultra blue on to your finger and smear a thin application of it to the back of the pump where your gasket will go. Then apply the gasket to the back of the pump so it will be on the ultra blue. Then put another thin coating of ultra blue on top of the gasket also. Then bolt your water pump on not forgetting the alternator bracket. Tighten them up firm. Don’t go to over board otherwise you will snap a bolt meaning everything has to come off again. Then you want to make sure you connect the two heater hoses to the top of the water pump as well.
19. Once that is done you can start connecting your belts again.
- First you want to do the AC belt. So put the belt on and put the tensioner back in and tighten it back up.
- Second belt is your power steering belt. So put the belt back on and then put the bolts back into the power steering bracket.
- Thirdly is your alternator belt. You will need to put the pulley on to the front of the water pump first and then put the belt on to the alternator. For now leave the belt loose.
20. Next you want to put your radiator back in. You want to slide in it carefully and ensure it goes into the two holes at the bottom and then put your two clips back in. You can then put your trans cooling hoses back on now also.
21. Next thing to do it to bolt the clutch fan back on. Put in on the same way it came off. So put it in the shroud and then slowly lower it in and connect it and bolt it back on. Make sure the shroud lines up and that you put the 2 screws back into it.
22. Once this is done you can do your thermostat. Undo the 2 bolts and then take the housing off. Clean both faces and then put the new thermostat in. Put a coating of ultra blue on the housing face and then bolt it back together.
23. Once this is done the radiator top and bottom hoses can go back on.
24. Ensure everything taken off is now reconnected including the overflow bottle hose etc.
25. Leave everything for an hour so the ultra blue has time to set.
26. Next you need to bleed the cooling system. So basically fill the radiator up until it doesn’t take any more. DO NOT PUT THE RADIATOR CAP BACK ON YET. Start the motor and let the level drop ensuring you constantly keep topping the radiator up. Leave the cap off and watch the radiator. If you look in you will see bubbles keep coming to the surface. After a few minutes no bubbles will appear and that means your system is pressurised. Make sure you are running the radiator while doing this. Once the bubbles stop completely put the cap on. You may see bubbles come from the overflow hose connection but that is not what bubbles you are looking for. Cap on you are done.
That should be it for the front rebuild. Similar steps can be taken with the V6 motors as well except for the bleeding of the cooling system as the V6s have the bleed valve in the thermo stat housing which isnt hard to do.
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Subject: Front End Motor Rebuild 
Sun 12 Dec 2010, 6:34 am
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