Z28 timing cover

[wisemanz28]

I've been looking for a timing chain cover for my 1969 Z28. My car is a 1st week of September built car. What date would work for my car?  How far out can I go?

[Stingr69]

I don't know that anyone has ever definatively decoded all of the timing cover date codes. Some look like a typical julian based date code system but there are covers out there that the numbers are obviously not julian based. Nobody can see them once they are installed and painted anyway.

Not much help I know.

-Mark.

[Kelley W King]

Most parts on my car are 2 to 3 weeks before the build date. But for that part you might want the engine build date instead of the car date.

[JohnZ]

The '69 Z/28 timing covers I've seen are dated like "4 69" for April, 1969, not in a Julian format; don't know if or when that dating format started or stopped.

[68camaroz28]

The '69 Z/28 timing covers I've seen are dated like "4 69" for April, 1969, not in a Julian format; don't know if or when that dating format started or stopped.

Yep, have a timing cover off a 67 model year HP 327 and its stamped "3 67" (March, 67). All the ones I have seen are month and year. Seemed many were stamped and many were not!?!?  But as Mark mentioned identifying the date code would be extremely difficult once on the car. Heck, I could not  see one even with the timing cover off the car until I sanded the area to remove paint. Sheet metal stamping is not deep in nature.

[bertfam]

Also note that the timing chain cover was installed at the engine plant, so you should look for a date before the engine build, not the car asembly date.

Ed

[KurtS]

I have some that have a different format. I'll have to dig them out again....

[68camaroz28]

The '69 Z/28 timing covers I've seen are dated like "4 69" for April, 1969, not in a Julian format; don't know if or when that dating format started or stopped.

Yep, have a timing cover off a 67 model year HP 327 and its stamped "3 67" (March, 67). All the ones I have seen are month and year. Seemed many were stamped and many were not!?!?  But as Mark mentioned identifying the date code would be extremely difficult once on the car. Heck, I could not  see one even with the timing cover off the car until I sanded the area to remove paint. Sheet metal stamping is not deep in nature.

Here's the March 67 one we have.