Front Crankshaft Oil Seal

[Jeff N.]

OK - so, how'd you get on that sucker? Was the car on a lift or did you get it from the top? Be curious to see the tool. How'd you lock down the engine so it wouldn't turn?

The problem we had was that with the motor out of the car there was now way to hold the sucker. With an impact wrench, it just spun right off. When we tried the breaker bar there was no way to hold the motor.

Jeff

[BMW-F1-FAN]

Pull off the pulleyassembly and flywheel. I had a shop take a 3" wide piece of 1/4" steel and drill holes that matched the flywheel. Make the center hole just a bit bigger. I put an extension ladder on the ground and let the steel be restrained by the ladder. 4' breaker bar and voila

OK - so, how'd you get on that sucker? Was the car on a lift or did you get it from the top? Be curious to see the tool. How'd you lock down the engine so it wouldn't turn?

The problem we had was that with the motor out of the car there was now way to hold the sucker. With an impact wrench, it just spun right off. When we tried the breaker bar there was no way to hold the motor.

Jeff

[PSG]

How much work is involved in replacing the front seal with the engine in the car? Other than the pulley bolt, it looks like belts and the cooling fan coming off, then prying out the seal and putting in the new one, which could be difficult I think because there does't seem to be much room to tap it in , keep it square etc. Am I missing anything? any hints?

[Bill R.]

sometimes use to remove the crank and cam seals on cars

How do I remove this?

[Hector]

and always wondered what it exactly does. I appreciate the picture.

It looks like it's the age of aquarius--the moon in the 7th star... Everything in place now to tackle this job.

[Hector]

vibration damper/harmonic balancer, nut and hub.

You need a heavy-duty tool like this

http://www.geocities.com/frothlikn/classic_tan2.html

to secure the crankshaft so that you can break the nut loose along with 3/4" drive breaker bar and cheater pipe, and 6 pt impact socket. I would probably remove the radiator just to avoid nicking/gouging its thin vanes...

You need a gear puller to get the hub off and you will have to work from underneath the car for easier access than from the top.

How much work is involved in replacing the front seal with the engine in the car? Other than the pulley bolt, it looks like belts and the cooling fan coming off, then prying out the seal and putting in the new one, which could be difficult I think because there does't seem to be much room to tap it in , keep it square etc. Am I missing anything? any hints?

[PSG]

Thanks Hector!