Okay so technically my oil pressure specs are within serviceable limits.

But I am not happy with them.

My machinist told me I was on the razor's edge of needing to go one size over on my crank journals.

I have decided to go with a crank kit (Crank and bearings). But I am not at my house, I am somewhere where I need to get this done as quick as possible.

I want to know, in my 82 22R motor, can I remove and replace the crank without removing the front timing chain cover?

 

Isn't the timing chain crank driven?

 

You have to take the timing cover off. Not only that, you have to take the back seal retainer off. How can you check bearing tolerances without having the motor out?

Take the motor out of the truck, trying to do it in the vehicle is silly nonsense.

 

I never said I wasn't taking the engine out.

I need to swap out the crank ASAP because of my location, and the core of the old crank. Taking the timing chain cover adds time to the process.

 

Adds what, 30 minutes max?

Anyways, you have to remove it because the crank passes through it (and subsequently the oil pump).

 

I hope you have help to remove the engine!!

It never fails when you try and do something on the quick and cheap it ends up taking very long and getting so very expensive.

Please tell me how you managed to measure a crank while it seems the engine is still in the truck??

 

Sounds like you only got a month out of your last rebuild based on your other thread.
don't cut corners this time.

 

"My machinist told me I was on the razor's edge of needing to go one size over on my crank journals"

Riddle me this, how does you machinist know your crank tolerances without removing the crank and measuring?? He must have reeeeeally good eyes to seen through the oil pain, bearing caps and bearings to see that your tolerances may be slightly off.

But all BS aside from your clairvoyant machinist... There is nothing "quick" about removing a crank, much less removing a crank with the motor in the truck. You still need to:
-Remove the starter
-Remove the slave cylinder
-Remove the shifters
-Remove the speedo cable
-Remove the front driveshaft
-Remove the rear driveshaft
-Remove the tranny crossmember
-Remove the tranny
-Remove the pressure plate and clutch
-Remove the flywheel
-Remove the oil pan
-Remove the oil pickup tube
-Remove the rear main seal retainer
-Remove the drive belts
-Remove the fan shroud
-Remove the water pump
-Remove the oil pump
-Remove the water pump (technically you can leave it attached to the timing cover)
-Remove the drive pulley
-Remove the timing cover
-Remove the rod caps
-Remove the bearing caps
-Remove the thrust washers

And then you may be able to finally remove your crank out without dropping it on the floor. But you should technically still have to remove your throttle cable bracket, valve cover, rocker assembly, distributor, cam shaft and cam gear in order to properly set the initial timing upon reassembly...

Personally, I can rebuild a motor easily in an afternoon if I have all the parts cleaned, machined and ready to go but that's working on an engine stand and not leaned over a fender or laying on my back.

What you're getting to is not a quick and easy task and it would be much harder to do in the truck, just yank the motor and do it the right way.