font main seal
 

How hard is it to change out the front main oil seal on our motors?

Easy

Remove radiator
Break crank pulley bolt loose (use long breaker bar and starter)
Slide off crank pulley
Take off front belts
Take off power steering idler pulley bracket
Take off A/C idler pulley bracket
Remove plastic timing belt covers
Rotate engine until all timing marks line up and use chalk or marker to mark belt and pulleys just to make sure.
Remove timing belt tensioner
Put vise grips or clamp lightly on timing belt on both cam pulleys to keep belt from slipping off pulley and jumping a tooth
Remove idler pulley for tensioner
Remove toothed crank pulley (slides right off usually)
Drill small hole in crank seal
Use mechanics pick to pull crank seal out (stick it through hole you drilled)
Put grease on new seal and tap it in evenly
Use vise to compress timing belt tensioner and put small allen wrench in hole in tensioner to keep it compressed
Put toothed crank pulley back on
Put tensioner on
Put idler pulley on
Make sure timing belt is lined up correctly
Remove allen bolt from tensioner
Put plastic covers on
Put the rest of the stuff back on
Fill radiator
Drive!

Just did it again this past weekend so it is still fresh in my mind

Ryan McDonald did a good timing belt how-to with pictures that covers 99% of the crank seal process.

Whic car Matt
 

yours, Kim's or the engine on the stand?

:D

Todd

Kim's svx

Still haven't ordered all the parts for the one on the engine stand :D

Waiting for red95svx to be back in the parts business.

Get in touch with Langston Subaru in PA
 

tell them you were at the Reading meet and they'll hook you up with a hefty discount.

I'll get you their contact info tomorrow.

Todd

How long did it take you to do all of this Matt? Sounds like a pretty involved process...

-Chike

I like how it says "Easy" before the long list of steps. :D

I was quoted about $150 to have a shop do it. Think I'll go that route, as our 1939 Ford tractor is in our garage due to transmission problems and I don't feel like doing this under open sky and on gravel. Thanks for the info though ;)

$150?! That's a really good price... Has this shop ever worked on SVXs before?

-Chike

Watch them do it but otherwise it sound like an awsome deal.

Took me I think a little over 2 hours my first time - about 1.5 hours the second time including 2 labatts blues.

I'd rate it about $25 on my how much I'd pay someone else to do it scale.

I'm about to replace my front oil seal at svxfiles' place. Just got in my front oil seal and wanted to post pics in this thread as Matt left some good instructions.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...etkd/23832.jpg

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...etkd/23833.jpg

-Chike

You may find once you're in there that the crank seal isn't the problem but rather the oil pump o-ring is. Be careful to inspect while it's all apart.

<<Easy

Remove radiator
Break crank pulley bolt loose (use long breaker bar and starter)
Slide off crank pulley
Take off front belts
Take off power steering idler pulley bracket
Take off A/C idler pulley bracket
Remove plastic timing belt covers
Rotate engine until all timing marks line up and use chalk or marker to mark belt and pulleys just to make sure.
Remove timing belt tensioner
Put vise grips or clamp lightly on timing belt on both cam pulleys to keep belt from slipping off pulley and jumping a tooth
Remove idler pulley for tensioner
Remove toothed crank pulley (slides right off usually)
Drill small hole in crank seal
Use mechanics pick to pull crank seal out (stick it through hole you drilled)
Put grease on new seal and tap it in evenly
Use vise to compress timing belt tensioner and put small allen wrench in hole in tensioner to keep it compressed
Put toothed crank pulley back on
Put tensioner on
Put idler pulley on
Make sure timing belt is lined up correctly
Remove allen bolt from tensioner
Put plastic covers on
Put the rest of the stuff back on
Fill radiator
Drive!

Just did it again this past weekend so it is still fresh in my mind>>

Save yourself some time and just remove the fans, no need to remove the radiator. That way, you won't have half the problems the other guys are having properly bleeding the air from the system.

Thanks Beav. I may just pick up an oil pump o-ring from the dealer to have handy. While I'm in there might as well replace it...

-Chike