arielb1

Please teach me...PLEASE.

GEZZZ, there has to be a better way. It took me 50 minutes to get one off. Another 45 minutes to get the crankshaft seal off a Honda Accord. I had a heart attack when I thought I destroyed something behind the seal. I have to do a timing belt soon on my 94 4Runner V6. I am dreading removing the two cam and crankshaft seals.

Anyone have suggestions how to get these off? Attached is a jpg that I think is the tool I need, but how do I use it? Do I jam it through the seal essentially breaking it? How, since the seal is a tough piece of plastic. Do I wedge it between the seal and the shaft, but I can damage the shaft. There has to be a quicker way to remove these components.

Thanks for educating me.

eric-the-red

Never seena tool like that. I've usually had success by screwing a small screw into the seal and using that to pull it out. Or sometimes 2 screws 180 degrees apart.

thook

Um...if all you're doing is a timing belt, why mess with the cam or the crankshaft seals? Are they leaking?

arielb1

NO, not leaking, but I dont want to wait for them to leak. While I am in there, I might as well change them.

I like the screw ideal which I thought of in the past. thanks for confirming my idea. Do you drill a hole or just start with the screw? My concern is if bit and pieces fall into the engine behind the seal.

MudHippy

Pretty easy to pry them out with a screw driver. They pop right out in one peice, doesn't take much force. You need to exercise a little caution so as to not score the sealing surfaces. The seals are rubber encased steel, FYI. If you stick it in under the lip carefully, then pry back slowly, avoiding contact with the shaft and outer sealing surface, you'll be fine.

ewong

user a spring loaded center punch to poke a hole in the metal part of the seal.

Then use a Craftsman Cotter Pin puller (a sratch awl with a neato jogged 90 deg bend in it) to pull the seal out.

Lately Ive jsut bit the bullet and done it the hard way and pull the seal carrier (if there is one)

longhungsilver

I dont have a picture of it but my tool is sorta like a hooked device and i just put it behind and yank and out comes the seal...works well on most seals.. Sumtimes some of the larger ones on diff housings and axles and the like it doesnt work so well... not enough leverage... but on smaller ones it works like a charm....

If not then the 2 screws 180 degrees apart works like a charm as well

eric-the-red

Usually just the screw, make sure they're small enough and sharp. You don't have to go all the way through, just enough to get a bite.

ewong

The "hook/lever" ones dont work becuase the crank snout is in the way.. unless you remove the seal hodler plate which is the way I do it these days but is a tad longer and messier and more parts (seal for the seal holder)

arielb1

thanks everyone....I didnt realize so many different way...I am printing this out for my future use "adobe". By the way, I never had much luck with the flatscrewdriver. I am going to try the two sharp screws 180 degress apart. Thanks for the education.