Front crank shaft seal failure? (1 Viewer)

[RedmondCruiser]

Anyone have a Mr. T front crankshaft seal fail in less than two years?
I've been running full synthetic the entire time...not sure if that matters...and it just started to leak in the last month. We did hit a cold spell around the same time.

Last weekend I cleaned everything up an let it idle in the driveway and the only leak I could find was behind the harmonic balancer. No way that can be leaking...I just swapped in a new one less than two years ago.

 

[1973Guppie]

did you inspect the shaft when you reinstalled it? any scoring? Only way to know now it to get it off and inspect.

 

[Rifleman]

might be time for a speedi sleeve

 

[LINUS]

I'll bet either you might have installed it slightly off, or it was a bad seal.

I know, it's not exactly the easiest access, so visually inspecting isn't super easy - I tend to think you might have got it a little off when driving it in.

To answer your question though - no. You really should get 100K -ish from one with 10-30 oil behind it based on you being in Redmond, WA. 5-30 is what the cap says, but now with many miles on your stem seals, etc you really should consider 10-30 in either dino/fossil or CNG/synth oils.

I'm just N of you, I know the snap you are talking - we were cold for WA, but not anything compared to what the nation got, and no matter what it's hard to think the cold snap has any effect on a seal like that.

Not the answer you prob wanted to hear, but my experience here in WA w/ 1FZ's.
Sorry if it was a gut check, buddy - clearly you have some experience in 80 world yourself by your register date & sig line.

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Thanks for the advice...I'll go ahead and pull the harmonic balancer and inspect everything. I know all the tricks from the original replacement and so it's not too difficult. I might give it a day because I just had the oil replaced yesterday with a high mileage synthetic blend and high mileage additive. It didn't feel right to see the additive go in...

I should probably just go ahead and replace the seal and hope there is no scoring.

What if there is scoring?

Anyone have luck with non OEM seals?

 

[1973Guppie]

if there was scoring I would take it to a machine shop and let them handle it, they should be able to fit a speedi sleeve or machine a sleeve to fit on there and meet oem specs.....

 

[inkpot]

Stuff happens, even if you don't see significant wear/damage to the mating surface on the crank pulley. I went thru 3 OEM seals on a 22re before it completely dried up on my sons 85 mini truck. Other than dealing with the BIG BOLT in the crank, it is not that hard to change it out. It a second seal fails then you may have other issues. John

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Here's the contact surface on the harmonic balancer.

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Nice little groove... I noticed that the new seal seems to fit a lot better than the old one but I obviously had to pry out the old one and so it was damaged.

 

[inkpot]

Can you catch a fingernail in that groove? If the old seal was 100% pushed into the pocket, you could try seating the new one a little shallower. Would not take much to make the lip of the seal NOT park on top of that groove.

 

[Rifleman]

With all the years I've worked on customers cars, i wouldn't chance an oil leak come back with a groove in a balance like that. You can fix your problem one of two ways, the expensive way would be to buy a new balance, the less expensive way would be a Speedi Sleeve. If it were me, I'd buy a brand new factory Toyota seal, install it, then install a Speedi Sleeve on the balance, after you've done that, I'm sure your leak will be gone. The big plus for using the Speedi Sleeve, you'll of saved yourself a few hundred dollars!

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Yes...I did the fingernail test and it failed. I just ordered a new one...$300ish bucks but I could justify it because of all the money I saved doing my own wrenching on this thing over the years. The funny part was my wife suggesting that excuse...Thanks again.