Persistent oil leak

[Matt Suffern]

Hi all:

Many of you know my '86 4kq has been plagued by a consistent oil leak from
the front of the engine (~1 quart/week).  Today I replaced the front main
seal for the second time and it didn't cure the problem.  The leak
definitely seems to be coming from that region--there is quite a bit of oil
in the timing belt area (a lot seems to be flung up onto the idler pulley).
I can't find any "missing bolts" or anything else that has been suggested.

What am I doing wrong that I can't fix this leak?  I coated the seal with
oil and installed it with the flat section of the "U" (as it looks in cross
section) toward the front of the engine.  I used the old seal to drive in
the new and torqued down the main pulley bolt.

One thing:  When I removed the seal the very first time (it didn't
leak--replaced it as a matter of course while changing water pump), I
drilled screws into the seal and pulled on them to remove it (it worked).
However, the screws may have scratched the surface around the oil seal
area.  Would a slight scratch of the metal be enough to cause this leak?

Thanks for all the great advice, guys.

Best,
Matt
Winston-Salem, NC
'86 4kq