crankshaft seal

[boatingbill]

Has anyone removed the rear crankshaft seal with the engine still in the car in recent years? I
can't believe that back in the 50's these engines were removed to replace a seal. That would have
been expensive even back then. I don't have a Motors manual, but the Kaiser Service Manual does
show the engine out of the car, but that could have been for illustration purposes only. My car is a
'51 manual with OD. The car has 67K on it and leaks badly, so it may still be the original seal.

[dpledger]

Actually the '51K Shop manual does give a brief statement that the rear main seal can be replaced with the engine in the car, by removing the oil pan and the filler block. I do recall doing this in antiquity, and that others did also-seems someone described a tool for doing so in an old quarterly. The trick of course is to get the old top seal out and new one in. If it is old and leaking it shouldn't be that hard to push it out with a flexible took. Seem to recall that getting the new one in was like fishing wires through a wall-flexible rod towing the seal behind it. Think that greasing it up helped a lot, With the new rubber oens warming it would likely also be useful.

[boatingbill]

Some older posts mentioned a "sneaky pete" tool. This must be a slang term for some tool used to
pull the gasket into place above the crankshaft. Anyone know whereabouts of such a tool?

[joefrazer]

Sneaky Pete's are a common tool used to install the rear seals on GM V8 engines. Any NAPA with tenured salespeople will know what you're talking about if you ask for one. The version I have has a t-handle at one end and a hook like end at the other and is flexible in between. You fish it up and around the crank, hook your seal to the end and pull it thru.

[Logan]

Yes, indeed, a sneaky Pete is what you need.  I did this last in the mid-90's with success.  Removed the oil pan (I remember getting it back on around the steering to be a hassle!) and pulled the old seal out and replaced.  Of course we are talking about a rope seal.  I don't think you could do it with a formed rubber one, but someone correct me if I am wrong in this.  Good luck!

[boatingbill]

joefrazer: would the tool that you have also work on the more modern rubber compound seal? I
really don't want to go to all the trouble of dropping the pan, loosening the main bearings and
maybe having to loosen the connecting rod bearings (anyone know if I have to do that? and then find
out I can't get the old seal out or the new one in.