bernies wrote: has any body else had this type of experience?
Only when the timing cover has been removed by someone who is incompetent or not used to transits, which would ,make me VERY suspicious of how well the timing chain has been re set, and how well the bolts have been tightened / or overtightened (especially the cam sprockets). Everything you have posted so far rings alarm bells of abd workmanship and inexperience....
I assume the same person knackered the front cover as they are usually re usable if you know what your doing, Yes there is a gasket on the back of the cover behind the viscous fan and idler pulley bolt holes, and behind the coolent elbow bolt holes, both should have stayed on the cover, but if anew one has been fitted they are probably still on the old one instead
No the covers are not different on a 2.4 engine.
crank pulley should not have been held to undo the bolts, there is a much better set of options if your used to doing it.
shimming the pulley with washers is deffo a botched job, and not recommended.
When cover was removed and replaced the following should also have been replaced, front crankshaft oil seal, water pump to block gasket (oil will leak from here if not imediately afer a few miles), the o-ring on the coolent elbow, again it will leak if not changed (and without the gasket on the inside of the cover will allow coolent to mix with your oil
)
What needs to happen in my opinion and for your piece of mind and your engines
is to take it to wherever the timing was done and demand it be done again / re checked from scratch and ensure they do everything correcty, including putting correct gaskets back in behind the cover, and do all timing related bolts to correct torque (the guides and tensioner blade bolts snap whilst driving if overtightened
)
or take it to someone who is used to doing transits. The whole job of stripping and putting back together shouldnt take more than 2-3 hours tops (if that long)
Andy