CJ7 Front Oil Seal Replacement

fairly easily. The oil seal in the timing cover was baked into the cover. I have managed to scrap all of the remains out of the cover. Any advice on getting the new seal into place? The hole opening is about 2" in diameter and the gasket is like 2.25" in Diameter. I have soaked the gasket in oil overnight and it still won't fit. I'm starting to lose my patience :o)

issue. Maybe I need to take it to a shop with a seal press?

fairly easily. The oil seal in the timing cover was baked into the cover. I have managed to scrap all of the remains out of the cover. Any advice on getting the new seal into place? The hole opening is about 2" in diameter and the gasket is like 2.25" in Diameter. I have soaked the gasket in oil overnight and it still won't fit. I'm starting to lose my patience :o)

same issue. Maybe I need to take it to a shop with a seal press?

Doug ( snipped-for-privacy@nospam.comcast.net) wrote on Monday 23 February 2004 04:32 pm:

Doug,

The old seal should have popped out similar to your transmission output seal, as the outside of it is a metal ring. The only thing you could have scraped out is the remains of some RTV you're supposed to put on the outside of the metal ring to help it to seal. Make sure you didn't leave the metal ring of the old seal in the timing cover.

You may need to buy a seal puller. They're pretty cheap, but quite invaluable when it comes to these jobs.

I think Mike sums it up in his signature...something related to the follies of fools....in this case me. ;o)

I think you are all correct. My first instinct was that the metal ring was a retainer ring and that it should be removed with the original oil seal. I tried to pry a screw driver in there and loosen it up to no avail. After several attempts to get the ring out I assumed it was part of the timing cover and did not want to "booger" it up and then have to replace the timing cover. I will now go into my garage and attempt everything in my power to pull that sucker out.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for all the help.

I think Mike sums it up in his signature...something related to the follies of fools....in this case me. ;o)

I think you are all correct. My first instinct was that the metal ring was a retainer ring and that it should be removed with the original oil seal. I tried to pry a screw driver in there and loosen it up to no avail. After several attempts to get the ring out I assumed it was part of the timing cover and did not want to "booger" it up and then have to replace the timing cover. I will now go into my garage and attempt everything in my power to pull that sucker out.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for all the help.

I got it figured out thanks to the help above. The oil seal on the timing cover must have been original and on there for close to 20 years now. The old oil seals had a metal sleeve around them as mentioned in the above thread. The new seal is all rubber or poly. The old seal's metal retaining ring had pretty much bonded itself to the timing cover. I was able to pry it out with a thin Screw driver and some significant taps with a hammer. The new seal popped right in. I used a 2" piece of muffler pipe to drive it all the way in. Didn't have a big enough socket.

Thanks to all who gave me the courage to start hammering away at that metal ring. I thought it was permanent.

Doug