Front seal removal
- Thread starter Don W.
- Start date
TYTILIDIE
METH HEAD
Re: Front seal removal
I did mine like that once. It sucked. I have a seal puller, getting it out was cake, put the new one in is what pissed me off. It took me 15 minutes to get the damn thing in. Its the angle of everythign that screwed me up and I didnt have anything that fit it just right to put over it and bang it in. Even so, Its hard to get a good bite on it due to the angle you are working at.
I did mine like that once. It sucked. I have a seal puller, getting it out was cake, put the new one in is what pissed me off. It took me 15 minutes to get the damn thing in. Its the angle of everythign that screwed me up and I didnt have anything that fit it just right to put over it and bang it in. Even so, Its hard to get a good bite on it due to the angle you are working at.
Don W.
Stab it and steer it
Re: Front seal removal
Thanks Dave and everyone,
Roger on everything. Damper is supposed to be here tomorrow. (Thurs.) I was planning on inspecting thoroughly etc etc. By comparison if the old one hasn't slipped I may send the new one back.
(I work part time so naturally they've called me in for Thurs and Fri so it will be a day or two before I get much work done.)
I'll keep you all posted.
Don
Thanks Dave and everyone,
Roger on everything. Damper is supposed to be here tomorrow. (Thurs.) I was planning on inspecting thoroughly etc etc. By comparison if the old one hasn't slipped I may send the new one back.
(I work part time so naturally they've called me in for Thurs and Fri so it will be a day or two before I get much work done.)I'll keep you all posted.
Don
DaveP6999 said:Don. Be sure to compare the backside of the dampers. There is an un-balanced damper that has one of the three 'spokes' that is thicker than the other two. Be sure your old and new look the same.
Many years ago, I reolaced the timing chain on my 91 4.3 DD pick-up I had just purchased. I have removed the timing cover on numerous small-blocks, without removing the pan. I trim the upper, inside, ends of the 'chanel' that the front seal goes into, and it's possible to 'tilt' the front cover back onto the block, with no leaks, problems, etc without touching the pan.
On the 4.3, with the one-piece pan gasket, I messed around for an hour or so, until I determined that the above method was NOT going to work. I did not want to remove the pan. I cut the pan seal on each side, and put it in the timing cover channel. Some RTV in the logical places, and it went in like a small-block. No fuss at all.
When I retired this engine about 8 years and 125K miles later, the 'repair' area was still dry.
Moral of story: Don't be shy about removing the cover, checking the chain, and installing the seal in the cover on the bench.
Hint #2: I use a propane torch on the damper hub to expand it prior to installation. It doesn't have to be real hot, for it to be loose enough to put on with only a few light hammer taps. I've been doing this for years. I've had a couple get too hot, ie they go on too easy, and worried about heat-damage to the seal, but it's never happened. Works with crankshaft timing gears also.
Regards,
Dave.
PS I'll be interested to hear how far off the NEW damper timing mark is. I don't think your old one slipped at all.
Don W.
Stab it and steer it
Re: Front seal removal
Dampener is in, front seal replaced by removing the front cover, water pump installed all OK. However the above system didn't work for me. Even after trimming the pointed ends of the gasket retainer on the inside of the cover. What I ended up doing was to loosen the pan bolts and lower the pan maybe a 1/2 in and it went right in. Bit of a PITA because I had to remove the bolts for the oil lines so I could get them out of the way and the pan bolts aren't exactly easy to get to with the front dif in but it can be done.
You'll be interested to know that using the key to align both dampeners to each other it appears that the old dampener was not slipped. I installed the new one anyway because it's a "locked" style that won't slip.
DaveP6999 said:Don. On the 4.3, with the one-piece pan gasket, I messed around for an hour or so, until I determined that the above method was NOT going to work. I did not want to remove the pan. I cut the pan seal on each side, and put it in the timing cover channel. Some RTV in the logical places, and it went in like a small-block. No fuss at all.
When I retired this engine about 8 years and 125K miles later, the 'repair' area was still dry.
Moral of story: Don't be shy about removing the cover, checking the chain, and installing the seal in the cover on the bench.
Hint #2: I use a propane torch on the damper hub to expand it prior to installation. It doesn't have to be real hot, for it to be loose enough to put on with only a few light hammer taps. I've been doing this for years. I've had a couple get too hot, ie they go on too easy, and worried about heat-damage to the seal, but it's never happened. Works with crankshaft timing gears also.
Regards,
Dave.
PS I'll be interested to hear how far off the NEW damper timing mark is. I don't think your old one slipped at all.
Dampener is in, front seal replaced by removing the front cover, water pump installed all OK. However the above system didn't work for me. Even after trimming the pointed ends of the gasket retainer on the inside of the cover. What I ended up doing was to loosen the pan bolts and lower the pan maybe a 1/2 in and it went right in. Bit of a PITA because I had to remove the bolts for the oil lines so I could get them out of the way and the pan bolts aren't exactly easy to get to with the front dif in but it can be done.
You'll be interested to know that using the key to align both dampeners to each other it appears that the old dampener was not slipped. I installed the new one anyway because it's a "locked" style that won't slip.