Just putting my chain cover on and wonder what the two bottom outer bolt holes are for? There are two holes one on either side of the seal for the pan and another two outboard of those. Where some pans squared off at the front? The cover is squared at the bottom but the pan is round shaped and the two outer lower bolt holes have nothing in them, must be there for something?
Thanks guys, that's what mine looks like as well but on the very bottom outboard sides of the chain cover there are two more holes, in addition to the four that the oil pan bolts to. If you look at the chain cover from the front there is a pan bolt hole on either side of the oil seal and then one more in each corner. Perhaps to hold hose, wire, or cable clamps?
Sorry for my assumption- thanks guys or Ladies as the case may be.
Ya im just looked at mine. i have nothing connected there , but i'll bet you're right they are for wire looms or mounting of some sort of bracket. i would assume the positive wire to the starter. look at the assembly manual would show.
It doesn't show anything in the 67 Service Manual I went to the firstgensite and 67 parts illustrations shows and engine support or bracket goes there.
If they are the two holes I'm thinking of, they serve no purpose. They are the pre-historic vestiges of a time gone by. Prior to 1959, all Pontiac engines mounted in the front to the crossmember at that location, and on either side of the bellhousing. Why they never stopped casting the cover with those mounts is one of the greatest anthropologic mysteries of the 20th century......John
Catbird I seen that mount in a engine diagram, why they didn't change the mold's, probably would cost too much could be one reason I didn't know the Pontiac engine had a front engine mount til now or on the trannie also. Thanks
I thought the PO had added mine and I wasn't sure they were supposed to be there, but I guess they are. The PO used a different clamp that has the improved benefit of removing skin from knuckles and inducing a torrent of cuss words. I wish I knew these existed like 2 months ago when I replaced my starter.
Looks like those clips go onto the oil pan not the chain cover, it has a bend to clear the lip of the pan. Strange that Pontiac would mount the engine at the front with two 1/4" bolts into an aluminium casting. I'll go to the university today and check if anyone at the department of Sociology and Anthropology would like to delve deeper into this.
I think there was some sort of lifting system they used at the factory that utilized those bolt holes for holding the engine while they did some peticular operation like motor mounts or something else. I agree it doesnt sound very sturdy but I don't think they used them for anything long term.
Well as the guys stated , the 67 manual in the First Gen site shows the front engine support bolting to the cover. Although the cover looks different than the later ones.
In 1959 Pontiac switched from front to side engine mounts, but since all engines from 1955 to 1959 had reverse flow cooling and the 4 bolt water pump, there wasn't a need to recast the cover. In 1960 they discontinued reverse flow and had to redesign the casting anyway, but didn't eliminate the mounting tabs. They continued the 4 bolt water pump through 1964, but didn't eliminate the tabs for the 8 bolt redesign which we have on our 1967s. I'm not sure, but I think they are still on the 11 bolt covers. Someone must have liked them in engineering I guess......John
The timing chain covers also used to be cast iron. Also, as Firebob suggested, later PMD did design a tool to lift the front of the engine using the cover and the frame. And, 11 bolt covers have them as well.
