Replacing front main oil seal

[DemoMan]

I have a 1999 Discovery (1) 4.0 v8 with 115k miles on it. At 75/85 mph oil leaks from what appears the front main, and sprays traffic behind me. Anything less than 70 mph, I do not get any strange stares/honks etc.

With the truck running, and up on stands, I do not see any oil dripping out of the seal...even when the engine is raced...yet the front of the engine, and blown all along the left of the engine/bottom side is covered in (fresh) oil.

Odd think is that the engine oil is never low. I do not make a habit of driving this fast, due to the fact that the Discovery is geared so low...but a lot of times you have to drive this fast just to get out of the way.

It is oil that is spewing from the front of the oil seal...not transmission fluid or (any) other fluid.

Looking at the D1's repair manual, it directs me to remove the oil pan, oil pump, oil pickup line and then the front cover....

Question to the masses...The front oil seal looks like a pressed in seal (from the front)....If I remove the harmonic balancer I would imagine that I can then remove the oil seal and replace the seal without having to remove the oil pan, front cover etc....

Am I correct in this thought...has anyone attempted this?

Thanks in advance

 

[Grant]

hi, I just went through this. mine was passenger side(?) oil was pouring out of oil pressure sending unit back behind the alt mount. I'm in a 97 don't know what a 99 looks like. replaced it and now I'm going to clean up my driveway.

 

[sven]

Question to the masses...The front oil seal looks like a pressed in seal (from the front)....If I remove the harmonic balancer I would imagine that I can then remove the oil seal and replace the seal without having to remove the oil pan, front cover etc....

Am I correct in this thought...has anyone attempted this?

Thanks in advance

Thats the exact way to do it. Should take you less than an hour to do. One thig to check is the sealing surface of the harmonic balancer. If its scored, you need to sleeve it with a speedy-sleeve.

 

[DemoMan]

Many thanks, I appreciate the quick response...along with the direction. Looks like I'll have to postpone watching a football game or two this weekend to get this accomplished....good point about the sleeve.

Interresting to note is that there are no oil drippings/spots on the drive/garge in the front of the engine compartment when the vehicle is parked overnight...yet under the front seal, and all along the drivers side of the engine, trans, frame... is a covering of oil...and also on the back tailgate. Must be at a certain rpm with the engine under load oil must blow/spray out the seal...

 

[ptschram]

Typically, when the front crank seal is leaking, there is a clearly visible trail of oil down the edge of the front cover.

I strongly suggest degreasing the area and looking to see exactly where it is leaking. It is not uncommon for DIIs to leak from the front cover itself.

BTW-the FSM even suggest replacing the crank seal in situ using two wood screws to pull the old one out.

While oil pressure switches do leak, it is on the right side of the engine, not left.

As you say your oil level never goes down, might check to be sure it is not power steering fluid or tranny fluid.

PT

 

[RichardS]

Could be at high rpm/load you are getting pressure in the crankcase. Check the breather hose on the valve cover as well as the plastic strainer thingy inside the tube. If the hose is collapsed/soft and/or the tube is blocked then you will want to address that issue first.

I removed my front cover to replace the front main seal because I was doing other stuff at the same time. But I agree it looks like you can r&r the seal without removing the cover. And x2 on the speedi-sleeve if the seal mating surface on the balancer does not look perfect.

 

[DemoMan]

Great tips all, oil is definitely sourcing from the main seal?definitely oil, not tranny/ps fluid.



Also, I did replace the valve cover/breather hoses earlier thinking that the engine was not venting correctly...they were soft and starting to get sticky...


I like the idea of wood screws to remove the seal. Let me know if I'm on the right track: I envision a ? square piece of wood about 5 inches long with two wood screws set into one end of the wood, the distance apart would be about the width of the balancer. I would also envision placing the head of the wood screws into the seal, beyond the rubber lip/seal, and allowing the head of the screw to grab onto the metal face of the seal?and then just using leverage to pull the seal out?correct?
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[FONT=&quot]Thanks again for the support/help? [/FONT]

 

[96discoI]

or just invest in a seal puller at the store...

 

[DiscoJen]

It's a pretty easy job, I was able to pry the seal out using screwdriver and set the new one in with a large socket. It's probably one of the easier jobs I've done to my beast.

 

[Lutzgaterr]

Or you could use a.... wait a tick, this thread dates back to Sept-07.
Hey, if by now you are still fooling around with that front seal, good luck to ya.

Oh as a tip for others who will encounter this, if the crank surface is scored, you can push/pull that seal to ride in a different depth on that crank and possibly avoid the speedy sleeve option.
I could on mine, but still opted to sleeve the crank anyways.

 

[sir]

anyone know an easy way to prevent crank from turning when removing nut from
front of harmonic balancer without taking off flywheel cover? 96 d1

 

[Buddy]

anyone know an easy way to prevent crank from turning when removing nut from
front of harmonic balancer without taking off flywheel cover? 96 d1

First my disclaimer: I read this in another thread this is not my idea and I have never actually tried this so I accept no responsibility for any damage that may result.

What another poster suggested as putting the correct size socket on to a long breaker bar and bracing one end on the frame rail and then cranking the engine. They also recommended unplugging something to make the engine harder to start.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

First my disclaimer: I read this in another thread this is not my idea and I have never actually tried this so I accept no responsibility for any damage that may result.

What another poster suggested as putting the correct size socket on to a long breaker bar and bracing one end on the frame rail and then cranking the engine. They also recommended unplugging something to make the engine harder to start.

I wouldent...remember you will need to hold it to tighten it as well.

the easiest method is a impact wrench for sure...simple fast effective.

but if you dont have one then you will need to pull the inpsection plate from the front of the bell housing and use a flat piece of steel about 1" wide to wedge between the flex plat teeth and the block...then reverse to the other side to tighten.

 

[ptschram]

I've done this twice in the past two weeks. My Matco impact won't fit in the space between the radiator and the engine so I used a big end wrench and a prybar in the ring gear. I hated to do it that way, but whatchagonnado?

 

[rolo]

What'd you hate about it P.T.? Was it the idea of breaking teeth off the ring gear, or the fact that your prybar kept falling out every time you got out from under the truck to wrench on that nut? BTDT, both ways.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

he hated the extra 15 min taking the cover off and putting it back on..LOL

but it is the best way to do it without a small impact...mine you have to slide the socket on first then the impact will just make the turn into the socket.

 

[rolo]

15 minutes? He must not have got the technical bulletin. It only takes 1.5 minutes if he used cleco's instead of the original bolts, and most of that is getting up off the cold concrete.