HELP with camshaft bolt?!

[festivaWES]

support engine underneath with jack remove passenger engine mount, remove the plastic shield right by the crank pulley. Carefully dror the engine to the point where you can get an impact cordless or air on the 21/22mm nut...that should give you enough room.

[grizzleebear]

Sorry for the long post, but

THANK YOU BATHTUB TOM!!!!

After trying a couple of things to leverage the bolt loose with no success, I decided to try your method. Put a 3' pipe on the breaker bar so that it extended out the front onto the floor. Removed spark plugs. Bumped the starter and heard a "clank" as the wrench and pipe tightened up against the floor. Bumped it once more and she spun. Got out and looked, the bolt had backed out about a quarter of an inch. Yippee!
Took sprocket off and again, gouged, scraped, cut, pulled, etc. for about an hour to get the seal out. Remembering to make sure I got ahold of that little spring in it so it didn't get pushed into the engine!
Time to put the new one in. Heres where my problems started. I tried lowering the engine. Removed the passenger side mount bolt, but it didn't want to come down. So I tried to use the sprocket to seat the new seal. Well, it slid off the wider part of the crank onto the narrower front part as I was tightening it down, so it was not alligned with its recess, so it crushed the metal ring on the outside. The new seal has this metal ring on the outside where it goes into the groove in the block, the old one did not have this ring. Is this the wrong seal?!?!
Anyway, went and got another one. This time I tried to use the same socket that I used to seat the camshaft seal. Since there is no room to hit it with a hammer, like I did on the cam seal, I tried putting the crank bolt through it and tightening it down. Problem was, this socket (1 3/16") is just a little smaller than the metal ring. So when I tightened it down, it tore the seal at the edge of the wring.
Went and got another one (the last one the store had) and a larger socket that matched up with the diameter of the outer ring. Put it same as last one. But the metal ring would not allow it to seat all the way flush with the block face like the original one was. But I decided to try it. Put everything back together. Drove it a little bit, no leak. I drove it to work yesterday (40 miles one way) everything ok. On the way home the belt started squeeling again, crap. Got home and checked. Looks like its leaking again. I figure that because it wasn't seated all the way, the back of the sprocket is rubbing on it and wore through it.

Am I using the wrong seal?!?!

[scottxd45]

I just replaced a cranks seal on mine and it had no metal ring on the outside. I got mine from Napa and the part number on the box was 11612. I had no trouble pressing it in by hand with a socket and it has been a couple weeks and is still not leaking. I would say there's a good chance they gave you the wrong seal. I think the description in the Napa computer when I bought mine said something about it being a timing seal. Said nothing about the crankshaft. I compared it to the cam seal though and it was the same number so I knew it was right.

[FB71]

the flange does not mean it's the wrong seal. Some seal manufacturers incorporate the flange to prevent the seal from being inserted too deeply. Just using the sprocket to install is not sufficient, as you discovered. Use the sprocket to get it started, then remove the sprocket, and you can use a piece of PVC pipe (very inexpensive, available at harware / home improvement stores) and a hammer to finish seating the seal.

[scottxd45]

That's true it might not be the wrong seal, just a different seal. Mine pressed in by hand though just fine. I guess only time will tell if it will last long term though.

[FB71]

if it pressed in by hand, it's either mismanufactured or wrong. that's too loose.

[scottxd45]

Or I'm just super strong:naka:

[grizzleebear]

the flange does not mean it's the wrong seal. Some seal manufacturers incorporate the flange to prevent the seal from being inserted too deeply. Just using the sprocket to install is not sufficient, as you discovered. Use the sprocket to get it started, then remove the sprocket, and you can use a piece of PVC pipe (very inexpensive, available at harware / home improvement stores) and a hammer to finish seating the seal.

I'm pretty sure it was the flange that would not allow the seal to seat deep enough. Which puzzles me, cause the cam seal seated all the way flush. Although, like I said, I couldn't lower the engine so that I could get a hammer on it. If I could hit it with a hammer, the bigger socket would probably work to seat it. But It still looks to me like the metal flange is to tall for the groove its supposed to go in. Maybe I'll see if I can get the one from NAPA and see how it works. errrrrrr, I hate being frustrated by little crap like this!

[Bathtub Tom]

>>Sorry for the long post, but

THANK YOU BATHTUB TOM!!!!


Only pleased to help!