Timing chain & camshaft replace

[kinger952]

Does the oil pan on a 84 mercruiser 350 need to be removed to get timing cover off to change camshaft ?
Hoping not to pull engine to change camshaft .
I have room in front of engine to slide camshaft out
So does pan HAVE to come off to remove timing cover ?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Yes, oil pan should be lowered instead of cutting the gasket,especially if a one piece neoprene type ,you need 3 feet in front to do the cam
Intake manifold off, valve covers off, loosen and remove push rods, pull lifters out , timing chain and cam gear.

 

[itsathepete]

Agree oil pan has to come off. Easier/better to pull engine. You will be able to do the work properly with it out. Virtually impossible to reseal oil pan in the boat and much more difficult overall to do all that work in the boat

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,.... Pull the drive, then the motor, mount it on a stand, 'n then do whatever ya wanta do to it,...

 

[ScottinAZ]

its a fairly well known thing in the automotive side of Chevys that the oil pan does not need to come off, BUT it does make the job a LOT easier, both working the cover in and out (there is a small corner on both sides of the lower lip of the timing cover where the seal sits that interferes), and that there is a better than average chance of the gasket not sealing. Granted, the automotive side is a LOT more time consuming (usually) to remove, so the risk may outweigh the reward. Marine applications are (again usually) a bit easier to get in and out (height not withstanding) so I would pull the engine. I never had any luck getting them to reseal otherwise. Newer one piece seals just make this more challenging to do without dropping the pan.

TLDR: it can be done, but you really dont want to do it that way.....

 

[kinger952]

Camshaft is in and engine is running great. I did not have to remove oil pan nice and easy job the bilge area I had enough room to pull cam out and put in new.
Thanks for all the help and info