Crankshaft Seals

[denguy]

How hard is it to change the front crankshaft seal?

[chrisofna]

I would say about as hard as doing a timing job. All of the timing has to come apart at the lower end of the engine which requires you to remove all the upper timing covers if I recall.

[1990new]

If you have the small nose crank/ the crank seal and the cam seal are the same part. If I were you I would change the cam seal at the same time while you have the timing belt off. Also you might want to consider changing the water pump while you have everything off too.
Be sure to use locktite on the crank bolt and torque to specs when you put it back together. You will need to loosen the 3 motor support bolts on that side as much as possible to lower the engine enought to get the crank bolt out.

[denguy]

My crankshaft bolt has a big flange around it and you have to take the whole thing out in order to change the timing belt. I did this about a year ago and I gained access to the bolt by slicing a hole in the inner fender panel opposite the bolt head and working through there. I might get to the crank seal that way.

[WmWatt]

I didn't have to remove the crankshaft bolt to change the timing belt, just the bottom pulleys which were held on by four bolts and two phillips head screws. Was able to get at everything from below after removing the wheel and the plastic splash shield. The two timing belt covers, too, of course from the top, four bolts. From what I read leading up to it it was much easier than other manufacturers' vehicles.

[denguy]

1990 NEW......how do I know if I have a ''small nose crank"? And where can I get new seals?...…...thanks

ps.....it's getting too hard for me to crawl under the thing...……….

[1990new]

1990 NEW......how do I know if I have a ''small nose crank"? And where can I get new seals?...…...thanks

ps.....it's getting too hard for me to crawl under the thing...……….

Easiest way is to check you vin sticker. If the mfg date is less than 02/01/1992 and you know that car has it's original engine, you have the small nose crank.
If your car is a 92 and the mfg date is 02/01/1992 or later or is a 93, and you know the car has it's original engine, you have a large nose crank.

For small nose crank engine you can get this at rockauto.com shipped for less than $5.
FEL-PRO TCS45722 It's a kit that contain the seal plus a water pump seal, an oil pump and suction tube seal, plus the water pump inlet seal.
So if it's the small nose get two of these kits shipped for $7.40 and you are have extra gaskets free.
If you have large nose crank get one of these kits and use the seal for the cam.
You can get the same kit at Autozone for $14.99 plus tax.
The cheapest crankshaft seal alone at autozone is $9.49.
Note that for the small nose engine, the duralast part number at Autozone is the same (223012) for the crankshaft and the camshaft.

Be careful using the fitment checks at Autozone. They say the front crankshaft seal 223012 fits the 1990 and the 1993 Festiva.

If you have the large nose crank, you can get the crankshaft felpro kit FEL-PRO TCS45921 for $2.77, so you could get one of each kind of kit at rockauto and it would be still be you least expensive deal.

[denguy]

Thanks, 1990new.