Crankshaft front oil seal — removal and installation
1. Remove the crankshaft balancer (see Crankshaft balancer — removal and installation).
2. Note how the seal is installed — the new one must be installed to the same depth and facing the same way. Carefully pry the oil seal out of the cover with a seal puller or a large screwdriver (see illustration). Be very careful not to distort the cover or scratch the crankshaft! Wrap electrician’s tape around the tip of the screwdriver to avoid damage to the crankshaft.
11.2 Carefully pry the old seal out of the timing chain cover — don’t damage the crankshaft in the process
3. If the seal is being replaced with the timing chain cover removed, support the cover on top of two blocks of wood and drive the seal out from the rear with a hammer and punch.
Caution: Be careful not to scratch, gouge or distort the area that the seal fits into or a leak will develop.
4. Apply clean engine oil or multi-purpose grease to the outer edge of the new seal, then install it in the cover with the lip (spring side) facing IN. Drive the seal into place with a seal driver or large socket and hammer (see illustration). Make sure the seal enters the bore squarely and stop when the front face is at the proper depth.
11.4 Drive the new seal into place with a large socket and hammer
5. Check the surface on the balancer hub that the oil seal rides on. If the surface has been grooved from long-time contact with the seal, replace the crankshaft balancer.
6. Lubricate the balancer hub with clean engine oil and reinstall the crankshaft balancer as described in Section Crankshaft balancer — removal and installation.
7. The remainder of installation is the reverse of removal.