Engine Timing Cover

[siteunseen]

It looks as though it may be upside down? 

[Wally]

ok. i understand now. I never moved the key any. In fact, i got some pliers and it sees like it wont move. If i can get some better images once i get all the old seal out i will post.

 

[Dave WM]

remove the seal with care, you don't want to mar the timing cover. a good trick is to use a sharp pointed screw, like a drywall screw, tap the point right in the middle of the rubber part, screw it in a couple turns so the thread bites, then pull it out using the screw with some pliers. I don't think you need any sealant on the seal going back in. To install just tap it in around the edges, slowly, making sure it goes in square, a flat faced hammer works well. Since the cover is on you will have to work around the crank shaft so take your time and use a lot of light taps. the key should appear flat on top, it tends to self align as long as its not to out of position to start with. The hard part is getting the damper slot position correct when installing. Again patience and care needed.

agree with the others, that key install looks wrong, could make damper install a problem. see Av8 pic of how it should look.

[Captain Obvious]

11 hours ago, Zed Head said:

Didn't mean to blow past your earlier comment CO.  You said keyway,

No problem at all. I said keyway, but I probably should have just said "key". The keyway isn't the real problem... It's the key that's the issue.

[Captain Obvious]

So I don't think the key is upside down in those pics, I think it's just rocked too far tip-down.

In order to get things assembled correctly, you need that key to be level or a little bit tip-down. The problems occur if you try to put things together with it tip-up, or if it's tip-down too much (which is what I think is going on in the pic).

Wally, you said that the key is stuck in that position... I'm not sure why or how that key gets stuck in that tip-down position unless it got knocked into that position after the pulley was removed and then sat like that and froze up. There's no way it was like that the day the pulley was removed. Is this something you took apart a long time ago and let sit, or is this all recent work?

If that key is really stuck in that severe tip-down position it's going to be a problem.

[siteunseen]

Some small needle nosed Vise grips would be good. I'd hate for the key to fall down into the cover. 

[Zed Head]

2 hours ago, siteunseen said:

Some small needle nosed Vise grips would be good. I'd hate for the key to fall down into the cover. 

I have a pair of these that would do the job.  They come in small size.  Hope you haven't replaced the seal yet, you don't want to try to squeeze in there with the seal installed.

Worst case, if it does fall in to the cover it won't hurt anything.  It will just sit there, waiting for some future owner to find and wonder about.

https://www.amazon.com/VISE-GRIP-Original-Locking-Pliers-1602L3/dp/B0000BYD9A/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=vise-grip&qid=1614964787&s=hi&sr=1-8

[Dave WM]

when working on fiddly bits I will hold a small magnet, the kind you use to retrieve stuff on a telescoping rod, next to the item I am working on, if something get loose the magnet tends to grab it.

[siteunseen]

I remembered something if the screw removal doesn't work on your seal. If you can get behind it, 2 allen wrenches with 2 vise grips as a puller will work.

The short end behind the seal. Longest on the the vise grips. I've done that before, can't remember on what but it works. Try the screw first as Dave said. Much easier.

 

[Wally]

my new seal just came in. here it is. Does this look right? The previous one i bought and messed up did not have any metal around it, just rubber.

[Captain Obvious]

Your old seal did have metal in there. If you didn't see the metal, it's because It had a rubber coating over the metal. But there was metal inside. They usually make those seals in a couple different varieties like that. The general concept is that the ones with the rubber coating on the outside are better sealing when used in an application where there sealing surface has some imperfections or the hole that it is being pressed into has a split in it (like the rear main seal).

Might beg the question then of "so then why don't all of them come with rubber on the outside?" and my answer is "I don't know. Maybe cost."

Here's a page from McMaster that talks some about the differences:
https://www.mcmaster.com/oil-seals/

[CanTechZ]

If your old seal was rubber on the outside it still would have a metal case under the rubber. For aluminum housings it is standard practice to use rubber covered seals due to the fact that aluminum has a higher thermal expansion rate than steel. The rubber covering comes into play to help ensure that a press fit is not lost and also prevents fretting corrosion between the seal OD and aluminum housing seal bore.