I have an 1987 351W that needs a front main seal. I had a few qeustions if anyone has done this before.

Can the seal itself be removed/installed without special tools? Also can the balancer be reinstalled by pressing it on with the crankshaft bolt? I was also wondering if the balancer itself could be the cause of the leak. I would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance,

Erik

 

Sometimes the balancer has a grove worn in it by the seal. There is a seal saver that goes over the shaft to fix this. You can reinstall the balancer with just the crank bolt. I have used a socket to replace the seal. You will need a puller to remove the balancer. I use a simple one that uses two of the pulley holes to attach to the balancer. I find that a longer then normal crank bolt is useful in removing it.