front main seal

August 21, 2006, 08:13:17 PM

anybody got any nifty little walkthrough's or tech articles about replacing them? the mark's is pretty bad and its going to need to be done this week when the gf's off from work. it looks like just pull the balancer off and maybe drop the pan a bit? is it just like the rear main? iv done a few of them lol. this would be my first front.

front main seal

Reply #1 – August 25, 2006, 03:52:15 PM

front is easier then the rear Id say. Timing cover has to come off. So take off the balancer, unbolt the water pump bolts that go through the timing cover into the block, then theres 4 that go from the timing cover into the block, and 4 that are under the timing cover that go into the timing cover and oil pan. To get to the top left bolt easier for the timing cover to block bolts it might be easier to take off the thermostat housing (was for me and the gasket is only $1-something) You might have to unbolt a couple things to get to it easier but nothing major. the biggest PITA will be getting the balancer off. what ive found that works is loosening the pully bolts while the belt is still on then taking the belt off, take the pully off and putting the bolts back in but let them stick out 1" or so, then taking a breaker bar and wedging it between 2 bolts and the smog pump so it wont spin then using another breaker bar or big ratchet to remove the big balancer bolt.

Be very carefull with the water pump bolts that go into the block, the bolts go through coolant passages so you might break the bolts off just break them loose slowly. Ive yet to break them on 2 motors but other people I know break them all the time.

In order to get the front seal out your going to need a hammer and a screwdriver, flip the cover over so your looking at the back and hold the timing cover VERY steady and hammer the seal loose (just pressed in, but god its pressed in good sometimes) then flip it over and install the new one. Easy if you have something solid and round that will cover the whole thing when you put it back in, make sure its seated fully or you will be doing all this again when ya get done. Now that thats done its time to reinstall the timing cover.

When you buy the gasket set for the timing cover there should be 2 cork tabs and a black 1/2 round piece for the timing cover/oil pan gasket. cut the old gasket flush with the block then trim the cork tabs to fit where the holes are in the oil ban for the bolts. you only have to take off like 1/2" or so at most but check anyway. Take some super glue and glue those gay cork tabs to the pan, then rtv the round piece into the timing cover and let it dry. Then RTV a small bead around the oil pan where the timing cover will sit to help seal everything, RTV the timing cover gasket to the block then put the timing cover on, using the dowels helps alot. Take the 2 bottom bolts that go in where the dowels are and pull it tight to the block, then do the 4 oil pan bolts,etc etc.

Now just reassemble how you took it part, balancer has to be torqued to 110-140# lbs, the rest I cant remember off hand.

Figured Id try and help ya out since its all still fresh in my mind from doin my cam swap this weekend/early this week and after fighting to get the timing cover on for 3-4 days