Help! - Front Main Crank Seal Removal (1 Viewer)

[Gabriel 71]

I used a digital torque thingy. That reads the twist in the basically a3/4 extension. 311 pound feet was my magic number. But nuke is right they would hold way more than the actual spec without breaking. It's frickin huge. I think people get ocd when they buy a cruiser. And read into all the posts on here about this way or that way right and wrong. Basic common sense gets shoved into the background sometimes. A bolt that big you can give yourself a hernia trying to break it. Ymmv

 

[Red Merle]

I used a digital torque thingy. That reads the twist in the basically a3/4 extension. 311 pound feet was my magic number. But nuke is right they would hold way more than the actual spec without breaking. It's frickin huge. I think people get ocd when they buy a cruiser. And read into all the posts on here about this way or that way right and wrong. Basic common sense gets shoved into the background sometimes. A bolt that big you can give yourself a hernia trying to break it. Ymmv

Good to know. Do people buy new bolts when they do this? Are these torque to yield units?

I weigh about 250 lbs and although I don't lift weights anymore, I did manual labor for about 25 years before I took my current desk job. If I can get my legs into something, I can generate quite of bit of power. I don't know how much it would take to give myself a hernia, but I have lifted and forced things in by hand that other people kinda shake their heads at.

There are certainly people out there that are far more stronk, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if I was able to shear off the bolt if I used something as long as the torque wrench I pictured. Plus, it's not an exact science. I just give er' the beans and shove, which could easily be way too much.

I guess I just feel like knowing how I am with stuff like this and past experience makes me lean towards having the right tool for the job. Like I said, if anyone wants to use mine, we can work something out.

 

[Gabriel 71]

The digital torque reader I used with a 3/4 breaker bar and a 2 ft pipe and hit 311lb . I used it to really tell me if I was close is all. My dad was there when I done the front main and when he saw the bolt he said no need to use my fancy digital reader, cause the breaker bar and pipe wasn't going to break that sucker. I had LC ocd bad then I now self medicate with step 6 to take the edge off. It helps don't judge me

 

[Red Merle]

Finally got around to this project as I decided to just go all in while I was replacing the AC system and made the decision to pull apart the whole front of the truck so that I could also install a new fender assembly.

I used the 14 MM socket method on the torque converter and had zero issue getting it out with a 36" cheater on the 3/4" breaker. Torquing it back up was a breeze with that enormous wrench I bought. I could've easily given her the beans and ended up north of 600 ft lbs.

I used Syl-Glide at @cruiserdan 's recommendation for the oil pump gasket, which worked slick.

If anyone wants to rent or buy my super wrench, just let me know. I don't know what else I would use it for.

 

[skhochay]

use 2 self drilled screws

Hey guys, I'm trying to remove the front main seal so I can replace it while I'm doing preventative maintenance. How do you get the seal out without damaging the crank nose? I tried using a small pry-bar, various gasket picks, and screwdrivers, etc. It won't budge. I definitely don't want to nick the crank.

Then I borrowed this very nice cam seal puller kit, which I thought would work perfectly, but unfortunately the "hooks" on the puller are too small and just slide out.

Is there a low-profile pulley puller that works well? I'd like to avoid using machine screws and drilling the seal. What tools/strategies have you used in the past that work with great success?

 

[Red Merle]

use 2 self drilled screws

Or just yank it out with a seal puller. I gotta say, I thought this job was going to be some major ordeal and I way over prepped. The big boy wrench was nice to have, but I could have figured this out with fewer tools. No clue why the getting the screws out of the oil pump cover needed to have so much thought, but I ripped mine out with the battery powered impact driver and a nice #3 bit, no sweat. This is a one banana job if you are already removing the radiator and condenser along with the grill and the cross member for he frame.

 

[ZackR]

Glad it went well, I had the same thoughts afterward since it went so smoothly. A big part was being prepared from reading the forum and learning from others past misfortunes . The 1/4 impact driver seems to be the key to a smooth job. I bought one specifically for this task and it's been handy ever since .

 

[Red Merle]

Glad it went well, I had the same thoughts afterward since it went so smoothly. A big part was being prepared from reading the forum and learning from others past misfortunes . The 1/4 impact driver seems to be the key to a smooth job. I bought one specifically for this task and it's been handy ever since .

Yeah, those little drivers are really handy to have around. The rattling really made the difference. I tried just using the screw bit as a screw driver and on a 1/4" ratchet and it wasn't just happening. I tossed the bit into the impact driver and made sure I had it seated all the way and just bumped them out right away.