I've got my pulley off and now just need to replace the front crank seal. How'd you get the old seal out? I tried prying it out a llittle, but didn't really budge...it was getting late so I hung it up for the day.

Also...how'd you go about getting it back in? Just seems I'd need to grease it up and tap it evenly back in..perhaps I'll use a large socket (I've got a lot of huge sockets) to ensure even pressure...

Thoughts?

 

I did mine myself. They make a special hooked tool for this purpose. Other wise use any means you can come up with to pry it out but not harm the aluminum housing. The seal will be completely mutilated in order to remove it. Use white lithium grease or similar to install the new one. Be aware there is no seat. If you keep tapping it will keep going in. Tap it in with a socket or similar device just until it is flush with the front of the housing.

 

Flat even slow, sounds like an old girl friend.

I have done it zillions of times and did it twice cause the C is difficult. I used a large flat washer to get it in level and straight.

SLOW is my best recommendation, say 5 - 10 minutes to allow you to get mentally One with the seal. You have to see and slowly advance it in a parallel flat manner. Its harder than you want it to be and if you slap it in your doomed to repeat, I know.

Woody PS I used a ring of red rtv to lube it in and assist sealing, LITTLE ring on seal, not on seat. WW

 

Excellent, thanks...just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something there..I've done a couple rear end seals but both where on Fords (of course) and while on engine stands (of course again), so just wanted to be sure there wasn't something different going on here.

For future searchers on seal:

1.) get car up on jacks or list
2.) pull of air intake
3.) under car access the transmission access panel, its a vertical plastic panel facing front of car, pops right out. You need to block the flywheel in some manner to prevent crank pulley from moving when you take it off...several methods to be found out there, as I stated before I think the best way was to turn the crank until yu see a bolt head through the tranny access panel, pull that bolt out and replace it with a 4" bolt of the same thread sisze so it will brace against tranny holding it in place for the next step
4.) get your 24mm socket, breaker bar and big honkin' pipe and take off the crank pulley bolt
5.) see this thread for taking seal out
6.) see this thread for putting back in
7.) put pulley back on using a NEW crank bolt to 150ftlbs torque then another 90 degrees.
8.) take that bolt out put the old one back in (tight), access panel back on, air intake back on...D-U-N done

 

Another old guy trick is before the pulley is reinserted I use my 400 or 600 or better sandpaper and lay it in the palm of my hand.

I rest the car end of the pulley on the paper and twist the pulley on the paper in my palm. THis polishes the end of the pulley just as the seal first touches it , kinda on the edge of the pulley and smoothes it just a bit more to be sure the seal has no lip damage due to a burr on end of the pulley.'

This is not to sand the pulley surface where the seal sits, though I do it on my cars with like 600 - 800 to make a slicker surface.

Lastly wet the seal allround and the pulley surface. I also do blue thread locker on the crank bolt, had one come off, not to repeat that trick please. Woody