my front engine seal started leaking like a siv about a quart every 400 miles after only about 10k miles on my rebuild so i replaced the seal again and i just finished that so i haven't had a chance to power washed everything and see if it cured the problem or not.

when i was doing this i noticed a grove in the pulley where the seal rides i don't know if it is suppose to be there or not the pulley is just shy of 270k miles

No, that groove is not supposed to be there. You can either get a new balancer, or buy a sleeve kit.

your new seal job is still going to leak. i had to use a sleeve repair kit to fix my leak. or go to Toyota and ask for the updated front seal. that will also fix the problem. (i have done both). 1 before and 1 after my rebuild.

i should be able to just pull the balancer back off in a week or two sleeve it and re use my new seal correct? or will i have to replace the seal again? my local auto parts store lists the sleeve for about 9 bucks and the installation tool for a little over 30 sounds like a much better deal than 99 bucks for a new balancer

u don't need an installation tool. mine came with a tube of red loctite (which i used) and then i used a 2x4 and a hammer and pounded it on. the 2x4 was to make sure it went on the balancer straight. i havent had a single leak in the 1500 plus miles.

and yes. you should be able to re-use the seal, just lube it up prior to installation.