alil2cul4u

So, I have searched multiple times for info on the front main seal on the 3.0 or 3VZE. I was just wondering what it takes to do the front main seal? I remember reading on here back last year that I either have to pull the motor of drop the front diff, I just cannot find that thread again. I need to do a front main seal on my 4runner, I am just not skilled in pulling a motor yet, nor do I have a cherry picker.. And I do not have and "special" tools. I just have a small craftsman set because my dad has my tools back in SLC... If someone could please post up the link to a thread or if someone has them some pictures of what it took to do the front main seal on a 2nd gen 4runner with a 3.0 or 3VZE....


Thanks,
Julian

justin_4runner

are u talking about the seal in the tranny or front of the motor?

alil2cul4u

The front of the motor.. I have a really bad leak in the front and that is all I could come up with was front main, and I had someone tell me that it was front main when i took it to a shop for an oil change.. (I only took it in because i had nowhere to change it lol)

justin_4runner

ok, so to do the front main u need to pull fan, and all covers over the timing belt, then pull the harmonic balancer and the bottom plastic cover. then remove the timing belt and lower gear and then u can replace the seal and reinstall on opposite order.

alil2cul4u

Thanks, I had my water pump done back in 08 and the time belt done i think 60,000 miles ago. Should I do both of these while im in there? If so how would I go about doing the timing belt? I have never done one. Is the Harmonic balancer the thing I need the special tool for that AZ does not sell?

justin_4runner

yeah i would look at changing the belt and water pump since u will be in that area, or u might end up doing it again.

as for getting off the harmonic balancer it has a 19 mm bolt in the center and since u have a 5 speed u might be able to get the trans to hold the motor as u use a big breaker bar on the bolt to get it off, i dont think u will need a puller if so just a regular puller will work just fine. if u are going to do this job find a copy of the fsm (factory service manual) to tell u where to set the motor at and setting for doing timing belt.

alil2cul4u

Ok, thanks for the help.. I will look into doing this. Maybe ill find someone around here to give me a hand if I get stuck lol.. So to do the front main seal i dont have to take the oil pan down?

Edit: I was just looking at autozone.com and they only have one crankshaft seal. Are the front and rear the same on the 3VZE?

justin_4runner

no there diffrent sizes with the front and back. rear is like 3 incs and the front only 2 if that,
i went and found this one for the front


http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...630166_0_4209_

Wrenchinjoe

The front main seal is installed in the oil pump and is often called the oil pump seal. OEM is best, but I used a Gates seal, part #KS15823 from O'Reilly Auto Parts for about $6.

+2 on replacing the timing belt and water pump while you have all that stuff off the front of the engine. You want to inspect the idler pulleys to make sure they are still smooth too... go ahead and replace them if they spin dry or crunchy.

While the front seal may well be the source of your oil leak, look carefully at the oil pump and make sure the leak is not coming from that. They don't tend to fail often, but if the oil pump itself is your problem then you would have to drop the oil pan to replace that (which also means dropping the front diff.)

Hopefully it is just that seal.

Rasteirinho

Hi,

I'm replacing the timing belt on my rig and i would like to know how do you remove the front crankshaft seal?

Any tips or ideas?

Thanks.

Regards,
Pedro