Greetings all...

 

So, how do I get to the front main seal on my EA82 (1992)? I have the front of the engine stripped down. I am at the gear-like pulleys that come off the front of the crankshaft. They do not want to come off when I pull them, and it looks as though there is a pin or something down the shaft that holds these on. Do I need a special tool here, or should these pull off? I assume that once they are off, it's just a matter of jimmying out the seal with a screwdriver or something and replacing it.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

belizeanbus

yea, those gears/cogs need to come off. In theory they should just slide off, but after a while they can get pretty stuck. May need to use a puller of some sort. There aren't any pins, etc, holding them on.

 

The front main seal is right behind them. If you don't have a seal puller like me, I've had luck using one of the stock wire hose clamps, bent so most of it is straight, except for the 90* angle on it. Could also probably get a metal clothes hanger and make a hook it in (make sure all the edges are rounded to avoid damaging the block).

 

I shimmy that in the inside of the seal, then pull it out. It also helps to take a screwdriver & hammer and pound the seal in slightly. That will help break the 'seal' it has with the block, and make it easier to come out.

 

good luck

pullers make it easy to get the cogs off of the crank. You can get a cheapo one for under $10.

 

When you go to take out the seal, be careful if you go in with a screwdriver - you don't wanna start scratching up the surfaces cause then you won't get a seal with the new one. When I did mine on my 85 t-wagon, i ended up drilling two holes in the seal itself (be really careful not to push through too hard when the drill gets through the seal) and then threaded in two screws and pulled it out with a pair of pliers. I was amazed how stuck the seal was considering you could see a fine spray of oil coming out from behind it when the engine was runnung.

 

good luck