I'm trying to get the front cover off an '03 DII, and following the RAVE instructions - have taken off all the accessory brackets and pulleys, water pump, crankshaft pulley, oil pan, etc. (in the middle of a head gasket job as well), and all bolts are removed, but the bottom driver's side is sticking and not coming off. I don't want to pry it, but I have lightly taped it with a rubber mallet to see if it just needed to be bumped loose to no help.

The passenger side of the cover comes away freely, but the bottom section of the driver's side by the lowest bolt hole and the locating stud just above that barely budge more than a millimeter and don't want to release. Am I missing something obvious on this? Pics included.




The RAVE doesn't list anything else that might help, I've searched the forum, and I've also searched YouTube hoping for a solution. Anyone have any pointers or suggestions? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

 

Did you drop the oil pan and disconnect the pickup tube/oring from the cover?

 

Yes. Oil pan is removed, and the the pick-up tube is disconnected. That bottom corner is just not budging more than a wiggle, and isn't coming off the locating stud or around the lowest bolt hole. The rest of the cover is moving, but that bottom, driver's side corner only wiggles a little bit. It doesn't seem to be a glob of RTV or anything like that, and all the bolts are removed. Has me scratching my head?

 

Tap it with a rubber mallet you won't hurt it. Just don't pry on the mating surface.

Sounds like it's stuck on the aligment dowl. If you can get a small pry bar or flat head under the lip of the cover near the dowl pin try and gently pry on it while tapping on it with the rubber mallet

 

After a lot more rapping with the rubber mallet, I managed to get it off. I think you were right Best4X4 - it seemed stuck on the alignment dowel. The gasket is crumbling in pieces behind the cover, and the section on the driver's bottom corner came off struck to the cover, while the rest is stuck on the face of the block. Probably had something to do with as well.

Thanks for the help! Now, on with the job.

 

No problem at all

 

As I suspected...not just a bad gasket and crankshaft seal, but oil pump as well.

 

What symptoms suggested the oil pump was fubar? Was the oil pressure light coming on? Was it a noise? Something else?

I understand oil pumps failing like this are pretty common, but I don't know the symptoms. Thanks.

 

The way that one broke = lucky it didn't grind away in there!

 

Best4X4 - Yes, glad to have found it before there was a real problem!

mln01 - Oil pressure was pretty steady actually, and wasn't hearing a specific noise, just had my suspicions. I was taking the front cover off anyway to replace the gasket (leaking) and crankshaft seal (also leaking), and replacing the water pump (leaking and showing signs of wear) while doing a head gasket job. I was also replacing the oil pan gasket (leaking - found a small tear in the old gasket), so figured I might as well check the oil pump along with everything else. Glad I did!