Hi, signed up tonight because I'm having trouble finding any direct info on the issue I'm having, and have found some good info here through google searches in the past few days.

I'm replacing the timing chain on a 1994 3.9 V6 Dakota 2x4. I have the timing cover sitting on my workbench and am not able, through reasonable means, to remove the crank seal from the cover. The Haynes manual and all other applicable web tutorials make it seem easy. I'm starting to worry that I'm not supposed to remove this one but the gasket kit for this truck came with a replacement seal. If not I'm looking at a new cover because I've already caused some damage to the original seal. Thanks in advance.

 

I've never done this but If you have a new seal you can destroy the old seal as you remove it. Just be careful about damaging the seat it sits in.

Edit
Wouldn't the crankshaft seal be mounted in the block?

 

Actually just resolved this. I pounded on it all day with no results but with an extra pair of hands and a flat bar we managed to send it flying across the room. Thanks for the input, appreciate the video.

 

Be careful of how you put the new one back in, if you put it in offset, it will leak, if you bend it even slightly it will leak. I like to have a block of wood right under the seal area in the cover, then I find a socket that fits over the whole seal (over the metal retainer) but slightly smaller in diameter than the hole the seal has to go into. Now, put some lubricant on the outside of the seal and on the walls of the hole it goes into and set the seal on it straight (it won't go in easily, it needs to be forced in), and if you have a second set of hands, they can hold the cover steady and flat while put that socket on top of the seal and then tap on the socket firmly to get the seal moving in - the trick is to keep it moving straight in, if it starts to tilt, try to straighten it by tapping firmly on the high side. Bring it down straight until it's flush and you're done. Put some lube on the lip of the seal before putting it back onto the shaft.

An alternative method is to pull it in using large fender washers and a bolt. Generally for this approach I've had to make my own "washers". I use a hole saw and cut several pieces out of at least 1/8" steel (2 are enough if you also have some other large washers handy, but otherwise, cut 4 so they remain flat as you're tightening the nut) and then I enlarge the center hole to fit the bolt I want to use. Now, lube the seal outside and the walls of the hole it goes into and set the seal flat onto the hole. Put a couple of the large washers on top, drop the bolt through & put a couple of the large washers underneath and tighten the nut. With the nut tight and the seal flat, slowly start to tighten the nut further until you see the seal start to move into the hole. You need to watch carefully with this method - it seems so easy, but it can bend your seals really fast. If you see the seal starting to tilt, you need to loosen the nut and move the bolt towards the high side and start the tightening again and keep doing that until you have it flush. If you keep pulling on a tilted seal, you'll end up with a bend seal housing and that's toast for that seal.

 

Just for future reference.

Put the front cover in the oven and heat it up to about 250 degrees, the seal should just pop right out. Wear oven mits. To put the new seal in, soak it in clean motor oil, put it in a zip lock bag, and pop it in the freezer. Heat the cover back up, set the new seal in, and tap it in 'til it bottoms out.

 

I haven't tried that, but it certainly sounds like good advise - I'll do that next time, thanks