Hello,

As my first post, I can think of nothing better to ask than about a leaky front main!

Someone said to simply do this:
1) Remove radiator shrouds
2) Remove serpentine belt
3) Remove crank balancer/pulley, and check for wear
4) Replace seal
5) Reinstall


Is this true?
It can't be that simple...
Iso, how does the new seal go in, exactly? With a deep-well socket and a little love?
Since this is a 4x4, I'm not able to remove the pan. I've always been told that the pan gasket should be replaced at the same time...


Thanks for any help. AAMCO just rebuilt my trans, and won't repair the leak they created from pulling the motor. Might as well do it myself, since I'm replacing the a/c compressor anyway...


1998 Chevy Blazer, 4x4, LT (4 door, with all the fancy crap)

 

You will have to pull the fan to get the lower shroud out, but the rest of the process looks proper.

You will want to make sure that the lip seal hasn't worn a groove in the crank pulley snout.

 

Hey, thanks!

This is really good news. I thought it'd cost a fortune to replace this thing.
And, now I get a chance to annoy my tooty-fruity townhome neighbors.


Balancers are $43, and readily available. I'm considering changing it out, to eliminate a possible cause of the rough idle. Diameter reduction is simple to spot, but I'm worried about it being out-of-round.

Does it have a stem that slips onto the end of the crank, a female/accepting radius (both which could be out of round), or simply a flat mating surface?

 

You shouldn't have to worry about an out of round condition. The parts would have to be machined that way basically. There is a snout on the back of the balancer that goes in through the front main seal in the timing cover. The wear surface is on this snout.