re.Rasafrassin' nogood blickablackin' risafrassin...front crankshaft oil seal (CGT)

[Ben Swann]

I have torn down my fair share of engines lately, and for the life of me, can't image how anyone was able to use the methods 1-3 below.   I managed to waste a brand new seal pick on one of these.  Drywall screws - forget it, they just pull right through making it necessary to use a jig saw to cut out what was left of the seal, as then there was nothing to press on using a seal tool.

The pump needs to be removed from the engine and the seal must be drivin out with an appropriate seal driver (I used a socket. that fit over the seal).  Even with a proper seal driver and pump in a vice, a lot of well position blows may be required.

Pull the oil pan and then the pump - should be able to do it on the car and add 1.5 hours to the job.  Make sure you have new pump seals and pan gasket on hand.  Or maybe just leave well enough alone.

Having removed several seals, as above, the 150k mi + ones often can not be told from a new one.  IMO this may be one of the things to leave alone when doing the timeing belt.  If it was not leaking then it will likely be ok - unllike some of the throwout bearings, water pumps, and clutch slave cylinders that weren't replaced while doing the clutch or timing belt job then failing shortly thereafter.

Comments and rebuttals welcome!

Ben

[From: "Jonathan Monetti" <jmone3036 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Rasafrassin' nogood blickablackin' risafrassin...front
crankshaft oil seal (CGT)
To: <quattro at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <LOEGIMEOFDBJOMAHHCCOMEJJDJAA.jmone3036 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have met my match.  As a last resort before ordering the $100+ front crank
oil seal removal tool, anyone have a good BTDT?

This is an 87.5 NG-motored CGT undergoing a slow (night, weekend) TB change.
All was going well until I got to the front oil seal.  I have a new one on
hand, so I can see how it's made & how it fits, but for the life of me can't
get the old one out.  I was trying to avoid buying VAG 3083, and had read a
few archived posts and web comments that some folks have...

1) slid it right out, no problem
2) done it with dental picks and/or needlenose
3) driven two drywall screws into the seal's front face and pulled it out
easily

But mine seems to have been placed there by Satan.  None of the above (nor
some creative alternatives) have worked.  I guess I'll need to buy 3083, but
last ditch questions:

-anyone know who might rent this tool in the NE ($100+ to buy a tool I'll
use once, maybe twice goes a little against the grain)
-or have any good Rube Goldberg solutions that have worked for you

Thanks in advance
Jonathan Monetti]