YoungStangsMan

So I recently got a bad coolant leak coming from the top passenger side of my timing cover. Over the coarse of a couple weeks after work I managed to get the thing off finally and replaced the gasket. I guess I was going a little too fast because after I reinstalled the cover I noticed the crank seal looked funny(More like missing) ...I installed it backwards! I knew something felt funny as I was tapping it in on the INSIDE of the cover...


So, do I absolutely need to pull everything back off and get the seal out, or can I just put another on from the front? I mean, It doesn't look like it would be rubbing on the crankshaft and even if it would be wouldn't I just instantly get a few chunks of rubber in my oil? I just sealed everything up with black permetex and im sure it'll be an even bigger PITA to get off a second time now that it's set in. Also the cover sits out maybe 1/8 of an inch further than the oil pan lip if even that so isn't 100% flush..


PLEASE, can anyone shed any light on this??? I know I know, I'm a dumba$$. It's a 94 V6 BTW.

jwog666

you need to get the seal you installed backwards out, if you can get it out without removing the cover then you can replace just the seal, however if the seal pushed all the way into the crankcase and you are asking if you can just double up on the seals without removing the old one, then the answer is no way, unless you want to be replacing the engine soon. not sure about how far your saying you cover sits out, as long as it seated on the guide pins and is flush with the block at the sealing surface it should be installed correctly, but if it hunk up on the 2 guide pins you will have to take it off and install it correctly, after cleaning up the pins with some fine crocus cloth and making sure that the guide pin holes in the cover arent full of old sealer.

YoungStangsMan

Thanks for the response. Sounds like I might need to pull the cover back off again and do it right. Also, I guess I didn't really install it backwards, but I installed it from the inside instead of the outside.

iron

You can bend them and cut it out. Just be careful. I have done this before.

YoungStangsMan

As they say no job is done right until it's done a second time...hah I took the cover back off and did it right and all is well...


I dropped the oil after everything, added some oil detergent and new oil, changed filter, ran it for 5 minutes, and dropped it again and replaced the oil/filter once more. Is this good enough? I noticed quite a bit of gasket debris/etc in the front of the oil pan before I put the timing cover back on..


Thanks again everybody!