84 and 87 timing chain covers?

Sweetblack85

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Mar 24, 2014
Hello this might be a amateur question. I know the difference in the oil pans are 14 bolt and 20 bolt but what about the timing covers do they interchange can I use a 87 cover on a 84?
 
You can put a late 85-87 cover on an earlier engine but the 2 front bolts that hold the pan on will need to be drilled and tapped. You can't put the older on the newer though.
 
[ EDIT: Originally this post described "dual pattern" covers that are apparently no longer sold, and other facts that apparently are no longer true. ]

Dorman has a cover for 14-bolt pans. It's a lot cheaper than it used to be, and available at Autozone.
 
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Whatever you get, CHECK the oil passages. If it has a allen pipe plug in the top, be sure it's lock tited in....
 
Looks like its going to be a struggle to find the right one I called autozone and they're listing one cover for 84-87 cars. Really appreciate all the info thanks.
 
If that's a Pioneer 500231, that should be the "dual pattern" cover I was talking about. It certainly was six years ago .... but it was at another store, and was about $50 cheaper then.

Believe it or not, the 14-bolt Dorman seems to have disappeared from the Autozone website just in the last few days, since I posted Wed. Are they that desperate to sell you the (more expensive) Pioneer .... ?

Autozone's listings seem a little confused.
 
If that's a Pioneer 500231, that should be the "dual pattern" cover I was talking about. It certainly was six years ago .... but it was at another store, and was about $50 cheaper then.

Believe it or not, the 14-bolt Dorman seems to have disappeared from the Autozone website just in the last few days, since I posted Wed. Are they that desperate to sell you the (more expensive) Pioneer .... ?

Autozone's listings seem a little confused.


I know this is an old thread, though what do you mean by "Dual Pattern"?
I ordered pioneer 500231 , want to make sure it's going to work on my 86 GN.
 
I know this is an old thread, though what do you mean by "Dual Pattern"?
I ordered pioneer 500231 , want to make sure it's going to work on my 86 GN.

Dual pattern means it has bolt holes on bottom for either 14-bolt or 20-bolt oil pan. So yes, it should work with your '86.
 
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