Front main seal replacement

[blykins]

It can be replaced by just removing the harmonic balancer. Get a seal puller to get the old one out. Drive new one in, make sure it's lubricated well on the ID before you put the balancer back on.

Also, there are centering tools that are available to make sure the timing cover is centered on the crankshaft. If your timing cover doesn't use dowel pins to locate it, it could be that it's off-center a little bit.

[SBSerpent]

Could the leak be caused by crankcase pressure issues? I do have a PCV on one valve cover and a breather on the other so the crankcase is being vented. The only thing that I did (about 1000 miles ago) was to swap the locations of the PCV/breather (i.e. I moved the PCV from DS cover to PS cover and vice verse for the breather). I can't imagine that being an issue and creating the oil leak.

I have also seen products where you put an additive in the oil and it resolves main seal leaks. Blue Devil Rear Main Sealer. Bad idea? How does something like that work for the rear seal and not the front (since it isn't advertised for the front seal)?

[blykins]

It could be.

I'm not a fan of PCV valves. Never run them, don't suggest running them.

Maybe try a breather on both sides and see if the leak stops.

Otherwise, you can change that seal in under an hour.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by SBSerpent

Could the leak be caused by crankcase pressure issues? I do have a PCV on one valve cover and a breather on the other so the crankcase is being vented. The only thing that I did (about 1000 miles ago) was to swap the locations of the PCV/breather (i.e. I moved the PCV from DS cover to PS cover and vice verse for the breather). I can't imagine that being an issue and creating the oil leak.

I have also seen products where you put an additive in the oil and it resolves main seal leaks. Blue Devil Rear Main Sealer. Bad idea? How does something like that work for the rear seal and not the front (since it isn't advertised for the front seal)?

The PCV and breather are not interchangeable. One side is intake, the other exhaust. So now you've got your intake side pulling air in backwards through the PCV (which is probably check-valved...)

[SBSerpent]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

The PCV and breather are not interchangeable. One side is intake, the other exhaust. So now you've got your intake side pulling air in backwards through the PCV (which is probably check-valved...)

I've always wondered about this. I've seen 351W motors with the PCV on either side so I'm trying to understand why one side of the motor would be more appropriate than the other.