Harmonic Balancer Bolt

Yeah You can get it out with the oil pump cover attached still. I tapped mine in with a rubber mallet but I'm sure most things work. I didn't have luck with the harbor freight puller but it was probably user error.

 

Unfortunately, that’s not the Harbor Freight tool he’s using. His appears to have an adjustable head, which allowed him to use it with the handle swung over to one side.

No biggie, I ordered the Amazon tool and oil seal, both are supposed to arrive by tomorrow night.

Of course there are things I may not like about this one also, such as the fact that the “post” that you prop against the motor is not adjustable for length. But it’s less than $20 with tax, so I decided I’d give it a try.

There’s a reason Jeff Bezos is the richest man on the planet ... at least before his divorce

 

Probably not user error - I studied that Harbor Freight tool also, and it appears that it’s design requires you to have good clearance for 10 or 12 inches in front of the seal in order to maneuver it around. All of their examples show it being used on stuff that has lots of clearance.

 

pm sent Funky

 

I received my replacement seal this morning. There’s no markings to indicate inside and outside, and it doesn’t look much like my old part. I assume this may be because the old one has almost 400,000 miles on it and the design may have been different 25 years ago.

The old one is still inserted because the removal tool won’t arrive until about 10 pm.

The replacement is as follows:

Side 1 has a thin “lip” which extends straight out for about half again the pressed-in thickness. I’m thinking this side faces out, and the lip rides against the inside of the HB to keep dirt away from the actual seal. My original part does not have an outer lip, but maybe it rotted off over the years.

Side 2 has no protrusions, but has a channel which holds a coil-spring “ring” that I assume helps to keep the seal snug against the shaft. It makes sense to me that this side faces inside, otherwise the coiled spring would rust.

Am I correct?

 

Original seal, no “lip”. No “channel” either. It doesn’t look like side 1 or side 2 of the replacement part.

 

yep
spring side is the inside

make sure you use some assembly lube(some clean petroleum product) on inner and outer of seal
i use a large socket or a end cap for PVC piping to gently tap seal into place

mine so used i can see the width....think 2inch........would take the seal to homo dept to be 100% sure

 

Again go watch the vid at the 2:55 mark.....you can see the seal with spring in/ protrusion out


How to Replace Crankshaft Seal on Your Car (youtube.com)

 

Amazon Prime is slipping lately. The seal-puller tool didn’t even ship until late yesterday, when it was originally promised to be delivered.

 

Begged a ride down to Home Depot, and you were correct, a 2” PVC pipe cap is a perfect fit. I was about to start making a seal driver on my lathe ...

 

I just tapped mine in with a piece of wood and a hammer. Round and round tapping till seated. Nervous as hell but it’s really no different than a wheel bearing seal. And have used that screw removal trick the other fella offered on wheel bearings. It works.

 

That was my first thought - I’ve done similar “fitting” of parts with a hammer and wood.

 

The Amazon seal puller tool arrived tonight (a day late) and I just spent almost an hour on my back in the rain trying to make it work.

It’s just way too flimsy for this application. The metal finger flexes and slips out long before you can apply enough pressure to budge the seal. I’m returning it.

I even tried trimming all the rubber from the inside of the seal, hoping that would allow the tool to get a firmer bite, but still it keeps slipping out.

Tomorrow I’ll visit some parts stores and see whether I can find one similar to that used in the video.

 

i was chasing an oil leak on my RSTi with new short block
these were the only the 1st batch
just think of doing a T belt job 4 times....and replacing all 4 seals(camshafts) hunting this oil leak
turned out no Fugi Bond placed on camshaft carriers by engine assembler.....not the seals

 

Been there, done that

 

funky......
here is my method (as apposed to the techs method)

tech pried out the bottom left seals
the ones with the black rtv and basically destroyed......the A-hole gouged my cam seal surfaces so i needs 4 new cams as well

my method
you can see the small holes in 5 of the above seals

-drill small hole in side of seal
gently....let drill bit do the work....dont push drill like your making a fence or drilling metal plate
-hand turn a screw in your hole
use a screw that doesnt have a razor sharp point....like a blunt point
-use a pry tool.....hammer claw or clip puller or similiar

seal will pop right out without any dmg

 

Rob
UGH.
that was a dark time in my life

good news
-car running awesome
-if not counting draining/burping coolant......i can do a T belt on EJ25 in 3.5hrs!!

 

I couldn’t find the adjustable-head puller tool anywhere locally, and was about to try the wood screws several have recommended. Then I had an idea to modify the Harbor Freight tool for close-quarters use. It wound up working perfectly, and I had the old seal out in seconds.

Not bad for a $7.99 tool ($5.99 with 25% discount coupon).

I returned the Amazon POS this morning.

 

How much oversized should the new seal be? This new one is 0.044” larger that the old, which was a snug fit.

 

OK, the answer is that 0.044” oversized is definitely way too large. No way to make it fit. I even tried sanding a bevel on the leading edge to get it started. Think Ron Jeremy vs Lil’ Kim. These are going back to Amazon.

I bummed a ride to a parts store that had the seal in stock. Measured it at the counter and it was only 0.010” oversized, plus it was brown like the original and missing the extended lip (also like the original). Bought that one.

Sad thing is, in an attempt to get the Amazon part to fit, I removed my oil pump cover so I could really swing the hammer. Now I need a new gasket to reinstall that, and even the dealerships around here have to order it.

Jeff Bezos owes me reparations.