Front main Seal - How hard?
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Freshman User
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Front main Seal - How hard?
Truck spec's: 1978 F150 ranger xlt 4x4 351m.
Was working on my truck last night and noticed that i have an oil leak that looks like it is coming from the front main seal (Crankshaft seal). I have oil spray in my passenger side wheel well, only place i can figure the oil is coming from. Ran the truck for 20 mins and was under it looking for a leak and this is where it seems to be coming from.
How hard is this to replace? Should i be replacing anything else while this is being done? I would consider myself a weekend mech, so would this be somthing i can do or should the shop do it? Shop quoted me anywhere from $100 to $500 to replace depending if they have to take the timeing cover off.
David
Was working on my truck last night and noticed that i have an oil leak that looks like it is coming from the front main seal (Crankshaft seal). I have oil spray in my passenger side wheel well, only place i can figure the oil is coming from. Ran the truck for 20 mins and was under it looking for a leak and this is where it seems to be coming from.
How hard is this to replace? Should i be replacing anything else while this is being done? I would consider myself a weekend mech, so would this be somthing i can do or should the shop do it? Shop quoted me anywhere from $100 to $500 to replace depending if they have to take the timeing cover off.
David
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,062
Likes: 35
From: Central Oregon
Pull the fan and pulley and the timing chain cover, check the timing chain and gears for wear/loose chain. The seal pops out with a seal puller and presses back in. You can use a hammer and a flat punch.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,217
Likes: 506
From: Pa.
To give some perspective .. your looking to get to this
This is a pretty good thread on how to get there 351M/400/360/390/429/460 Timning Chain Relacement - Ford Truck Fanatics
One thing worth inspecting is the harmonic balancer to make sure the rubber insulator hasn't begun to deteriorate allowing the 2 pieces to spin on each other .. This can cause the balancer to wobble because of balancing issues and cause your seal to fail prematurely .. For info a good harmonic balancer is going to be about $80 at least one worthy of the work it takes to get that far in replacing the front seal .. With the work necessary to do the seal replacing the timing set is also something worth considering and with your factory emissions timing set being a source of a loss of potential power it might be worth even more consideration ..
This is a pretty good thread on how to get there 351M/400/360/390/429/460 Timning Chain Relacement - Ford Truck Fanatics
One thing worth inspecting is the harmonic balancer to make sure the rubber insulator hasn't begun to deteriorate allowing the 2 pieces to spin on each other .. This can cause the balancer to wobble because of balancing issues and cause your seal to fail prematurely .. For info a good harmonic balancer is going to be about $80 at least one worthy of the work it takes to get that far in replacing the front seal .. With the work necessary to do the seal replacing the timing set is also something worth considering and with your factory emissions timing set being a source of a loss of potential power it might be worth even more consideration ..
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
For accuracy (and your street cred), it's just called a front crankshaft seal because it is not installed within the main bearing caps.
Apply a light smear of RTV on the seal's mating surface with the timing chain cover as a preventative measure against leakage.
Apply a light smear of RTV on the seal's mating surface with the timing chain cover as a preventative measure against leakage.
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