Texas CE

Got the hub off. The crank seal was misting but the big leak was the crank sensor. Someone prior to my ownership had pulled it and smeared some rubber sealer around the O-ring so it has been leaking for awhile. Time for a new O-ring.

I got the 3 seals off the timing cover.

Should I use a non-hardening Permatex around the outer ring on each seal or install them dry?

I appreciate everyone's input!

96GS#007

I use a VERY light coat of RTV around the outer edges. It serves as a lubricant such that the seals go in much easier.

It's very important the seals are flat when installed. You can make your own tool using PVC. Here's a pic of the one I made for crankshaft seals:

Bill Fetherling

After many hours of frustration I was finally able to get off my 95 LT-1 ballancer with the use of a small two arm puller from Auto Zone with the aid of the postings on this thread. Two comments to assist any other die hards who tackle replacing a water pump and opti. First, the jaws on the puller need to catch the inside flange of the ballancer not the inside of the outside flange. I wasted a lot of energy trying to hook the jaws on the inside of the outside flange. Two, make sure that the opti seats correctly on the drive pin. I thought I had proper hookup several times but thankfully I didn't trust the hookup. After several attempts the opti finally slid in tight to the flange and made it obvious I had finally got the correct alignment.
Thanks for your help everbody!
Keep Up the good work.
Bill

johnanthonyhome

What else was done before you did this? Any kind of center bolt?

mtwoolford

there really should be a sticky on this subject.

First LT hubs are different from earlier SBC balancers. if you attempt to remove it "normally" it will NOT move because you are actually pulling against the hub itself and with enough force you will actually bend the tabs on the hub

The LT hub is not keyed on , rather imagine a top hat with a hole in the center if the crown; the hat slides on the crank snout and the inside of this "lid" sets on the end of the crank snout. Clamping force from the center bolt that threads into the end of the crank forces the lid against the front of the crank snout and holds the hub stationary on the crank;

so...first step get a 7/16th's inch fine thread bolt and thread it into the crank snout but make sure the underside of the bolt head does not contact the inner surface of the hub

set up a three jawed puller to push against the head of the 7/16ths cap screw; the hub will now move until it contacts the underside of the capscrew head.

stop

remove that capscrew and thread in a longer capscrew and pull against it, the hub will continue to move

repeat three, maybe four time and the hub will slide right off.

DO NOT attempt to use a puller with a diameter smaller than the i.d. of the crank snout; if you screw it directly into the crank snout, the hub will move but you run a high risk of damaging the internal threads in the crank snout.