So I've got Dad's 04.5 torn apart, ready to reinstall the timing cover with the new seal in it. My question is on the orientation of the included installation tool. It has a small end and a large end. It seems that the large end should face the crank when installing, however the dowell in the crank does not allot the tool to face that way. If I put the "small end" towards the crank I can slide the tool on all the way, however it isn't gaining me anything in lining up the seal, it just makes the seal bind on the crank.

This is frusterating the heck out of me right now, and I need to try to get it wrapped up in 3 hours... Please help!

 

Also, I was hoping that the crank would be threaded in the center, that way I could just pull the tool in tight to the crank. I felt around in there with a pick and couldn't feel any threads? Am I just not feeling them or is it threaded on the inside?

 

Is there a plastic sleeve( seal protector) ? i put that on the crank, put the crank seal in the timing cover, then slid the timing cover over it, bolt down the timing cover and take out the plastice protector. That is how i have done them on my 12 valve and on tractors, have used the tool on the tractors but havnt tried it on a pickup yet.

 

Small end goes in. I find it easiest to install the new seal with the cover off. Seal protector stays in the seal when installing the cover, you remove the protector once the cover is on the engine.

Don't worry if you don't have a timing cover gasket, the gasket usually is well stuck to the cover. Leave it stuck there, clean off all the oil and use RTV to on the timing case side of the gasket.

 

Just to wrap this up, I had to drill a hole in the install tool to get it to fit on the crank the correct way. Once I could get the tool installed correctly, the seal & cover slipped right in. If anybody wants I can post up a pic for clarification.

 

sounds like you guys are talking about two different things to me.