Front Main Seal Replacement
03-22-2006, 04:43 PM
#2
Moderator
You can do it without dropping the pan. There are a couple options: (1) Since it's just pushed against a lip in the timing cover you can pry it out and pop a new one in (use the old seal to hammer on); or (2) You remove the water pump, loosen/remove a couple front pan bolts and that will do it. Since the water pump cover is installed over a couple of dowels you need to pull the cover away from the block on the top first and then pull up. The cover has a troughed guide for the pan seal to rest in and it interferes with straight out removal with the pan still on. There are gasket kits out there with shortened (2") pieces of pan gasket to replace the fwd pieces in the pan. If I remember right, you can trim the tin on the cover so install is easier. Not a must though. 
03-22-2006, 04:44 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Front Main seal
Do you mean the front oil pan seal or the front crankshaft seal in the timing chain cover? If it's the front "main" seal in the timing chain cover, there is no need to drop the oil pan but you do need to pull the harmonic balancer. If you need a new oil pan seal in the front, then yes you do and I would install a new Fel-Pro one piece oil pan seal.
03-22-2006, 06:25 PM
#4
Race Director
Member Since: Nov 2000
Location: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
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Please note that if it is leaking at the harmonic balancer seal, it may not be the seal that's at fault.
The balancer seal surface may (probably does) have a groove worn in it. There are repair sleeves that are available from most parts stores for this repair. You may get lucky and need to just add this sleeve and keep using the old seal (not the best situation, but worth a shot - best is to add the sleeve and also replace the seal).
The sleeves are installed by pressing on a cleaned balancer surface with loctite added (normally supplied with the sleeve). You can "press" it on via a mallet or hammer, and block of wood if careful. Just make sure it is going on straight, and don't hit it too hard (easy to deform)!
Also, add a 1/8" bead of RTV inside the balancer bore when reinstalling it. Clean both the bore and crank snout before applying the RTV with solvent. The RTV prevents oil from wicking down the crank keyway/slot (and causing a very small perpetual leak), and also makes install and uninstalling the balancer easier.
Plasticman
The balancer seal surface may (probably does) have a groove worn in it. There are repair sleeves that are available from most parts stores for this repair. You may get lucky and need to just add this sleeve and keep using the old seal (not the best situation, but worth a shot - best is to add the sleeve and also replace the seal).
The sleeves are installed by pressing on a cleaned balancer surface with loctite added (normally supplied with the sleeve). You can "press" it on via a mallet or hammer, and block of wood if careful. Just make sure it is going on straight, and don't hit it too hard (easy to deform)!
Also, add a 1/8" bead of RTV inside the balancer bore when reinstalling it. Clean both the bore and crank snout before applying the RTV with solvent. The RTV prevents oil from wicking down the crank keyway/slot (and causing a very small perpetual leak), and also makes install and uninstalling the balancer easier.
Plasticman
