Is it possible to change the front seal without removing the motor? Mine starting to leak pretty bad and dont have the time or equipment to remove motor.

 

Yes it is possible. You will have to remove most of the accessories and related brackets, water pump and vibration dampener (you will need a puller for the dampener). After all that is off, the front cover comes off. The seal is pressed into the front cover so you can change the seal on a bench. This implies getting a few new gaskets as well (water pump and front cover) as some RTV sealer. The IP drive gear housing will also have to come off.

Theres some OEM documentation here that may help:

1985 Ford 6

 

It can also be done in truck with the front cover plate on.......

Make sure the front seal is the problem..... if the pan to cover seal is leaking it will look like a front seal...... get a kit with the speedy sleeve too.

 

if the 6.9 is like the 7.3 it can be changed in the truck 'cause they changed mine at the ford shop one afternoon. they were kind of proud of their work, but at least the leak stopped.

speedrdr

 

If you take the IP drive gear housing off will that affect anything internal in the IP? I dont want to mess with the inside of it. So just taking it off wont change anything?

 

I would not take any of the covers off. I just did mine about 6 months ago.

You need to take the radiator shroud loose, and then take the radiator out. That thing is heavy.
Then you have to take the fan off. This is where you may need some special tools. It screws on, and it's left hand thread. I ended up taking a torch and making myself a big wrench for the large nut, and a u shaped piece with holes that I bolted to the pulley bolts to hold the pulley still while you try to loosen the nut. I believe you can buy this stuff.

Then you can take all the belts off, take the lower pulley off, and then use a puller to pull the damper off.

Use a hook tool or a screwdriver to pry the old seal out.

I would not put a new seal on without using a speedy sleeve. The seal wears a groove in the damper surface, and a new seal will not seal with the groove. The speedy sleeve slips over the damper surface and covers the groove.
I ran into a problem though with my speedy sleeve. All that I have used just slip on with a block of wood. The sleeve I had was thicker and would not slip on. I had to run to work and put the damper in the lathe and turn it down so the sleeve would press on. I wrote back in here about that, and everyone though I had the wrong sleeve, even though the od matched the seal. So I am curious what you will run into with yours.

 

Where do I get a speedy sleeve?

 

Most parts stores can get SpeediSleeve seals for both the front and rear seals.
The NAPA here, we have a distribution center, has them in stock usually.

 

If you do not have a wear groove in your balancer you don't need the sleeve.

 

The seal I bought came with the speedi sleeve already in the box.