Mechanical question

[LeeMW]

My Tii needs a front crank seal. I have read a few posts on how to do it and it seems doable. Anyone have any tips they can share? Is it as simple as taking out the radiator, front grills and working from there?

Thank you.

[jimk]

Straight forward job. But you will need a 30mm socket to get the nut off the crank to pull the pulley. You may not have to pull the front covers if you can pull the seal with the pulley off.

If the front cover has to come off you will need gaskets and luck to not drop anything into the pan while the covers are off. Carefull separation is need to not damage the pan gasket while removing the front cover that has some pan bolts into it from the bottom. If the pan gasket has sealer on it you might be out of luck and the job grows from there.

[KFunk]

Don't forget to decide on a trick for removing/tightening the crank bolt without spinning the engine.

On some cars you can just put the car in gear, but I wasn't able to do that on my 02. The wheels just kept turning and/or the clutch slipping, or something else, and it wouldn't go. You can pull the starter and wedge something in flywheel teeth too, but I've never tried that.

I really think it's easiest to just put a breaker bar on the crank bolt in a very secure manner, and wedge the breaker bar under the battery tray, and use the key to turn the starter on for a brief half second. It's really less dramatic than you expect, and does it with ease. For tightening it, you need a torque wrench, and leaving it in gear has worked for me.

edit: oh yeah, impact wrench is best option, if you can fit it in there. probably requires removing radiator, which you should probably do anyways....

[c.d.iesel]

Please turn to page 11-14/3 in your BMW Repair Manual

[Hans]

If you have air impact wrench (strong one) it may pop it.

[71bmr02]

do check a manual if you have access. I've done it a couple of times when i've pulled the motor wo pulling trans(just to get that little bit of extra clearance taken up by the pully.)

pull the inspection plate from the transmission and fabricate a tool that can be bolted to trans at one of the inspection plate mounting holes. the tool should have a 90 degree turn that can be fitted between the flywheel teeth. that should hold the flywheel so you can remove the crank nut. (i had a box full of weber and holly carb parts and used the part that actuates the secondary side of a 32/36. it has an arm that is perpendicular to the actuating arm and with some straightening and use of a small washer in the large hole to accomodate the bolt, makes a good tool for the job.

Gale H

[wegweiser]

Here's a link to a "How To" I did a few years ago. I've since learned that supporting the engine from ABOVE with a fender mounted bar arrangement is the way to go - to gain oil pan/pump clearance.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,0/page,viewtopic/p,469996/sid,959398280bcfaefd3f81b905879389d9/

Hope it helps!

[Kpeters]

I just recall I had a bad time trying to remove that damn pulley. After a lot of time and a lot of scrapes I managed.

Do use some sort of sealer on the timing covers I was trying to be "too clean" and didn't use any now I got oil leaks all over the place.

That's if you have to remove the covers....

[wegweiser]

An update to a mis-printed element of my old tech tip:

I don't use ANY formagasket stuff on the crank seal. I do pack the backside of it with grease to retain the tiny spring however - and to allow the pulley to slide in without damaging it. I press it in to the cover bone DRY on the outside mating surface.

Konrad - using sealant on the VALVE COVER seal? Ick! I've never needed it, personally. Makes valve adjustment time messier. ;-)

[Kpeters]

Konrad - using sealant on the VALVE COVER seal? Ick! I've never needed it, personally. Makes valve adjustment time messier. ;-)

I meant to say timing covers!

Though my valve cover does needs some sealant it's badly warped . ATM I'd rather put up with the little oil seepage.