I have allot of calls about replacing the gear housing or putting on a new gasket behind the gear housing, so I will try to show you how.

pic #1 shows the tappets, when you remove the camshaft all the way out to replace the gear housing, make sure they do not fall inside the engine( what I have done is put on some really thick grease around them to hold them in place, the gear lube will just dissolve when engine is ran.)

pic #2 shows where the camshaft thrust plate was, when you have the engine at TDC it will look like the pic and you can remove the 2 bolts, also in the picture shows the oil pump, you will have to remove that as well, if you are removing the gear housing, you will have to remove the camshaft, if you are just replacing a leaking gear housing gasket, DO NOT remove the camshaft, just slide it forward and you will be able to get the other bolts behind the cam gear.
(I have removed gaskets and replaced gaskets like this, it is not easy, allot of patients )

pic #3 shows the 2 bolts (out of 7 bolts total, not including the oil pump bolts, if you are just replacing the gasket, DO NOT take the cam all the way out.

pic #4 shows the marks on the cam and the crank gears, the picture indicates top dead center. not sure if you can see it as well, when the key is on top and straight inline with #1 cylinder, that also indicates TDC

all gear housing bolts apply 18 ft lbs of torque (also use LOCKTITE)

if you are replacing the gear housing, you will have to remove the camshaft, or the gear it self, but I have always find it easier to take the whole cam and gear out as a unit, because those gear are really hard to put back on while the cam is still in the engine, but I do have a lift and other equipment to remove the engine faster than most.

hope this helps everyone.

 

nice write up man. well just a desrciption more like it. but still informal. also, i can see the timing marks on the gear in you rpic, so should be good there. ima have to replace my gasket here pretty soo i believe. got a lil bit of in oil leak and seems to be coming from there. leaving the cam in, how can u get all the old gasket scraped off the gear housin/front of motor? or will it give you enough room to get a scraper behind it.

 

I used a razor blade, I have found that it is easier to remove the water pump as well to get in there.

I will say that it was a time consuming job because you are working in such tight places to remove the old gasket, but once it is off, I use rtv black on the new gasket to help hold it in place and also just in-case I left a little bit of the old gasket on. so far on the gasket that is in my truck now has about a year on it and no leaks.

 

thanks for the write up and info i will be coming do myself pretty quick

 

Easier way to get the cam out without pulling the pump to get the side plate off -

1/2 Wooden Dowel stock from Home depot. Cut into 12" lengths. removethe pushrods and gently drive the dowels into the lifters. Now, you can gently lift the lifters up until they top out. Next, take a rubber band and tie the two dowels for each cylinder together. The rubber bands bind the dowels together, and the lifter can not drop.



This is how we do cam swaps. Much faster and easier.

 

Great info! Is replacing the gasget part of replacing the "killer" pin? I need to do this as well; my 97 has 280,000 miles and I am feeling lucky I have not had the pin come loose yet.

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Can you lead me to the thread describing how to replace the pin?

Thanks much!

 

I'm having to replace the alu gear housing on my 8.3 Cummins due to the rear bolt on the air compressor breaking and the weight of the compressor broke the cover and housing. HOW do I get the 3/8ths dowel INTO the lifters? Do I take the valve cover off and remover the rocker arms and pushrods? ANY help will be greatly appreciated....

 

Yes, you do remove covers, rockers and push rods and GENTLY tap the dowel pins into the lifters, pull the lifter up with the dowel and either tie two together with rubber bands or use wooden clothes pins to keep the dowels and lifters off the cam. There is a YouTube video on Killer Dowel Pin repair showing how to tap the dowel rods into the lifter after the push rods are removed. It's been a while since I did this on my 97 and do not remember exactly the name of the video but if you explore you should be able to find it.

 

I bought 3/8ths in dowels and cut them to 15 inches but they don't hold the lifterd up over 2-3 seconds, even after I put thick grease on them....tapping them didn't do any good either. Dowels are hard pipular instead of the pine dowels I wanted and don't drive in the lifter.