Have you ever broken something trying to fix something else? This is the case with the timing cover on my 1997 Ford F350 CrewCab 4x4 with the 7.5L 460 V-8. My buddy Paccie and I were replacing the radiator and water pump on it when we accidentally cracked the timing cover removing the water pump. Not a huge deal other than the hit to the wallet we thought. We'll just go pick up a replacement. Ha! Easier said than done, at least for this particular California version 7.5L 460.
You see, this was the last year of the F350 before the Super Duty F350 was released. The 1997 model year doesn't even really exist as all parts are the same as the 1996 model. However, Ford did something different for the 96/97 year in California 460 engines. Rather than using the timing cover that all other models use (6019), it used an oddball variant (6059) with two mounting bosses on the front of it to secure the crank positioning sensor (CPS). From what I can tell the only place this cover exists is in California salvage yards as even Ford dealership parts counter searches revealed nothing of the like throughout the U.S.. From what I can tell this timing cover never existed outside of use on MY Ford F350. I've traded images with salvage yards and Ford parts houses only to find that all available timing covers for this model year are different and do not have provisions to mount the CPS.
Now, my question to Ford is, what do you tell your customers who own this model F350 with the California 460 oddball timing cover when a dealership tech accidentally cracks it while replacing a water pump? New engine? My best guess is is that the computer would also need to replaced if using other than this specific timing cover since the CPS won't register accurate information to the computer if it isn't where the computer thinks it is. So, in effect, in order to replace the timing cover on this model year Ford with the 460 V-8 I'm assuming that I will need to swap the timing cover, the CPS, the computer, and who knows what else.
This issue has eaten up a good bit of this week in phone calls and trips to yards to no avail. I am now at the point where welding up the crack in the timing cover is about the only option i have. The vehicle has been down for more than two weeks now and i really want it to move again so i can access the other vehicles parked behind it. Take a look at the photo of the timing cover in this post. If you have a spare i will take it!
Has any one else experienced this parts finding frustration? obsolete or unavailable? Anyone?