DIY: 335i N54 Front CrankShaft Seal Replacement

mr_malvo · 04-06-2019, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svtfast

Will the crank seal removal tool also work on the rear seal? I will be getting a used motor at the end of next week so I want to do as much as I can before I drop it in my car.

I'm not sure. KTC tools does sell a tool kit for the n54 rear seal. Maybe comparing the two one would know.

hoda022290 · 04-08-2019, 10:53 AM

I'm interested in renting this if its still available. Please contact me at hoda022290 at gmail

mweisdorfer · 04-08-2019, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svtfast

Will the crank seal removal tool also work on the rear seal? I will be getting a used motor at the end of next week so I want to do as much as I can before I drop it in my car.

No. They are different size tools. I have the tool kit with both the front & rear main seal tools.

hoda022290 · 04-08-2019, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

No. They are different size tools. I have the tool kit with both the front & rear main seal tools.

Please let me know if you are still renting/loaning them. Just ordered the parts and they should be coming this week. Hoda022290 at gmail

mweisdorfer · 04-09-2019, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoda022290

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

No. They are different size tools. I have the tool kit with both the front & rear main seal tools.

Please let me know if you are still renting/loaning them. Just ordered the parts and they should be coming this week. Hoda022290 at gmail

I don't rent my tools out. Nothing personal.

Here is a site that does.

https://m.eeuroparts.com/Parts/14023...55-110370RENT/

hoda022290 · 04-09-2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

I don't rent my tools out. Nothing personal.

Here is a site that does.

https://m.eeuroparts.com/Parts/14023...55-110370RENT/

No problem. Thanks for the info.

mweisdorfer · 04-22-2019, 09:01 AM

so, I learned a little something this weekend. You can run the car with out the harmonic balancer on (no belt), as long as you have a least a 30v battery charger/ maintainer. A 60v would be ideal.

I did just that. It did this to see exactly where the leak was coming from in the front crank shaft seal. Low and behold it was coming from inside the seal. The outside & especially where the key holes are on the seal were perfect.

So, I couldn't remember if I oiled the crank or not the last time I did this seal. I made sure that I lightly oiled the crank with a Q-tip several times, and installed the new seal. You MUST do this or the seal might buckle on the inside when you are pushing it in. Putting a rubber seal in Dry, in that tight of an area, is a bad idea and was probably my mistake.

I put a bead of Ultra Grey in the key slots and around the entire seal and let it set up for maybe 15 min. I then used the tool to slowly push the seal in. I took the tool off the crank and then put a good bead of ultra grey around the entire seal like I was caulking a window or door. I even used the little blue caulking tool you can get at HD or Lowe's, so you can get a perfect seal and look all the way around. The key with a product like Ultra Grey is that it's Engineered specifically for car parts that vibrate (cranks). You also, MUST wait 24 hours before you start the car up after you have the new seal in.

Last, I ran the engine like before without any belt on to see if it would leak. No leaks!!!!!! I put her back together and then ran it again for a good 20 min or so and made sure the oil temp hit 200 degrees. No leaks !!!!!

Maniac0908 · 05-13-2019, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

so, I learned a little something this weekend. You can run the car with out the harmonic balancer on (no belt), as long as you have a least a 30v battery charger/ maintainer. A 60v would be ideal.

I did just that. It did this to see exactly where the leak was coming from in the front crank shaft seal. Low and behold it was coming from inside the seal. The outside & especially where the key holes are on the seal were perfect.

So, I couldn't remember if I oiled the crank or not the last time I did this seal. I made sure that I lightly oiled the crank with a Q-tip several times, and installed the new seal. You MUST do this or the seal might buckle on the inside when you are pushing it in. Putting a rubber seal in Dry, in that tight of an area, is a bad idea and was probably my mistake.

I put a bead of Ultra Grey in the key slots and around the entire seal and let it set up for maybe 15 min. I then used the tool to slowly push the seal in. I took the tool off the crank and then put a good bead of ultra grey around the entire seal like I was caulking a window or door. I even used the little blue caulking tool you can get at HD or Lowe's, so you can get a perfect seal and look all the way around. The key with a product like Ultra Grey is that it's Engineered specifically for car parts that vibrate (cranks). You also, MUST wait 24 hours before you start the car up after you have the new seal in.

Last, I ran the engine like before without any belt on to see if it would leak. No leaks!!!!!! I put her back together and then ran it again for a good 20 min or so and made sure the oil temp hit 200 degrees. No leaks !!!!!

how is the grey seal holding up? i dont feel like paying 50$ for the bmw seal....

mweisdorfer · 05-14-2019, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maniac0908

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

so, I learned a little something this weekend. You can run the car with out the harmonic balancer on (no belt), as long as you have a least a 30v battery charger/ maintainer. A 60v would be ideal.

I did just that. It did this to see exactly where the leak was coming from in the front crank shaft seal. Low and behold it was coming from inside the seal. The outside & especially where the key holes are on the seal were perfect.

So, I couldn't remember if I oiled the crank or not the last time I did this seal. I made sure that I lightly oiled the crank with a Q-tip several times, and installed the new seal. You MUST do this or the seal might buckle on the inside when you are pushing it in. Putting a rubber seal in Dry, in that tight of an area, is a bad idea and was probably my mistake.

I put a bead of Ultra Grey in the key slots and around the entire seal and let it set up for maybe 15 min. I then used the tool to slowly push the seal in. I took the tool off the crank and then put a good bead of ultra grey around the entire seal like I was caulking a window or door. I even used the little blue caulking tool you can get at HD or Lowe's, so you can get a perfect seal and look all the way around. The key with a product like Ultra Grey is that it's Engineered specifically for car parts that vibrate (cranks). You also, MUST wait 24 hours before you start the car up after you have the new seal in.

Last, I ran the engine like before without any belt on to see if it would leak. No leaks!!!!!! I put her back together and then ran it again for a good 20 min or so and made sure the oil temp hit 200 degrees. No leaks !!!!!

how is the grey seal holding up? i dont feel like paying 50$ for the bmw seal....

No issues. Works great!!

Christian09e90 · 05-30-2019, 08:37 PM

This post was the best information I found on replacing my crankshaft seal thank you, however I did a big screw up and ended up pressing the metal seal back up inside by accident. The rubber layer came off and I got distracted didn’t pull the metal part out and now it’s up in there. How screwed am I?

mr_malvo · 06-03-2019, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian09e90

This post was the best information I found on replacing my crankshaft seal thank you, however I did a big screw up and ended up pressing the metal seal back up inside by accident. The rubber layer came off and I got distracted didn’t pull the metal part out and now it’s up in there. How screwed am I?

If the metal piece fell into the cavity you can easily remove it if you remove the oil pan - which is not an easy task. You may also try to fish it out but, certainly don't leave it in there. It could get jammed in your chain. If the metal part is just stuck against the engine block try to buckle it to get it out. I'm assuming you have not installed a new seal.

ajsmithvmi · 06-24-2019, 10:21 PM

Are you still renting out this tool?

ffuen01@gmail.com · 06-27-2019, 01:04 AM

Hello mr_malvo, thank you for the great information and very detailed you provided. I was wondering if you would lend out your KTC Tools - Seal Puller and Pusher? You can message me at ffuen01@gmail.com

JonathanC · 09-08-2019, 04:55 PM

Thanks everyone. Just completed this on my n52, hopefully that puts the serpentine belt saga behind me.

My car had the newer style seal which meant the removal tool didn't work. I attacked the seal carefully with a screwdriver from below, tapping the screwdriver with a mallet just under the radiator. Once I'd made a big enough gap I levered it from the block side and it eventually slipped half way out. I then levered it from the pulley side to get it all out. No need to butcher it from above or the sides, one big dent in the metal is all you need.

My Nielsen fitting tool would not accommodate the plastic sleeve with the bolts in place. The bolts stood too far proud of the tool. I trimmed the plastic sleeve with tin snips. I took off more than I needed making it fiddly to fit the seal, but I'm reasonably confident I got it. The plastic seal actually goes over the end of the pulley which is clever.

I used permatex ultra gray rather than the expensive stuff. Will report back in a few thousand miles.

AndyW · 11-16-2019, 12:41 AM

1. Thank you for this thread. Pretty much matches the Bentley Manual.

2. Thank you JPuehl for loaning me the tool.

3. My loctite gasket maker came with no plunger. Was scratching my head for a while. Got one from some horse syringes we have that happened to fit.
I found it frustratingly hard to get any flow rate from the specified tip. I did jam it in the place where the grooves were (and I lined it up correctly) but it was so tight I am not sure I got anything in there very far.

4. I switched to a larger tip to slather the gasket maker on the front of the seal and around the edges.

5. We'll see what happens when I start it up tomorrow...as soon as I figure out how to fit a stock fan onto a CSF Radiator (separate project I was doing in parallel)...

mweisdorfer · 12-02-2019, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyW

1. Thank you for this thread. Pretty much matches the Bentley Manual.

2. Thank you JPuehl for loaning me the tool.

3. My loctite gasket maker came with no plunger. Was scratching my head for a while. Got one from some horse syringes we have that happened to fit.
I found it frustratingly hard to get any flow rate from the specified tip. I did jam it in the place where the grooves were (and I lined it up correctly) but it was so tight I am not sure I got anything in there very far.

4. I switched to a larger tip to slather the gasket maker on the front of the seal and around the edges.

5. We'll see what happens when I start it up tomorrow...as soon as I figure out how to fit a stock fan onto a CSF Radiator (separate project I was doing in parallel)...

I had the same experience with the BMW sealant. That's exactly why I jumped ship and went to Ultra Grey. Just run a bead in the key holes on the seal, and another bead around the outside of the seal and let it sit there for 10-15 min prior to slowly installing the seal.

MAKE SURE you lightly oil the crank shaft with motor oil prior to installing the seal. THIS IS A MUST.

ThorN52 · 05-02-2020, 07:19 PM

Mr Malvo, excellent writing. I know this is an old post, but unfortunately the ghost of the shredded belt is still haunting bimmers to this day! I am in need to borrow/rent the crank seal tool to exorcise the demon. if you still have it please contact me at: ray at compworld dot us

Thanks!

MadisonF · 05-16-2020, 12:36 PM

I tried doing this repair without the tool. Seal would not budge. Purchased the tool (wicked expensive for one time use) and will retry the repair today.

Message me if you're interested in renting/buying the tool.

WaldoZ · 05-24-2020, 10:27 AM

Hi, im going through this just right now, i have oil pan out, got out all the belt pieces and now is time to put back the crank seal, this helps a lot, thanks!

feuer · 05-27-2020, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadisonF

I tried doing this repair without the tool. Seal would not budge. Purchased the tool (wicked expensive for one time use) and will retry the repair today.

Message me if you're interested in renting/buying the tool.

Only way to do it without tools (either bought or custom made) is with engine out

Tritan84 · 10-20-2020, 10:32 PM

Same thing happened to my f10 😩. Is anyone lending out the Crank Seal tool kit? It would be greatly appreciated

MadisonF · 10-21-2020, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tritan84

Same thing happened to my f10 😩. Is anyone lending out the Crank Seal tool kit? It would be greatly appreciated

Sorry to hear that. I am renting it and will message you with the details.

04-08-2019, 10:53 AM	#68
hoda022290 New Member 3 Rep 9 Posts Drives: e46 M3 Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	I'm interested in renting this if its still available. Please contact me at hoda022290 at gmail
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-22-2019, 09:01 AM	#73
mweisdorfer Major General 1937 Rep 6,965 Posts Drives: 2007 Black/Black 335i e90 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Holly, MI iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW E90 335i [0.00] 2008 bmw x5 [0.00]	A must for this DIY so, I learned a little something this weekend. You can run the car with out the harmonic balancer on (no belt), as long as you have a least a 30v battery charger/ maintainer. A 60v would be ideal. I did just that. It did this to see exactly where the leak was coming from in the front crank shaft seal. Low and behold it was coming from inside the seal. The outside & especially where the key holes are on the seal were perfect. So, I couldn't remember if I oiled the crank or not the last time I did this seal. I made sure that I lightly oiled the crank with a Q-tip several times, and installed the new seal. You MUST do this or the seal might buckle on the inside when you are pushing it in. Putting a rubber seal in Dry, in that tight of an area, is a bad idea and was probably my mistake. I put a bead of Ultra Grey in the key slots and around the entire seal and let it set up for maybe 15 min. I then used the tool to slowly push the seal in. I took the tool off the crank and then put a good bead of ultra grey around the entire seal like I was caulking a window or door. I even used the little blue caulking tool you can get at HD or Lowe's, so you can get a perfect seal and look all the way around. The key with a product like Ultra Grey is that it's Engineered specifically for car parts that vibrate (cranks). You also, MUST wait 24 hours before you start the car up after you have the new seal in. Last, I ran the engine like before without any belt on to see if it would leak. No leaks!!!!!! I put her back together and then ran it again for a good 20 min or so and made sure the oil temp hit 200 degrees. No leaks !!!!!
	Appreciate 1 slinkygn17.00 Quote

05-30-2019, 08:37 PM	#76
Christian09e90 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: Bmw 335xi Join Date: May 2019 Location: Dallas, Texas iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 Bmw 335xi [0.00]	This post was the best information I found on replacing my crankshaft seal thank you, however I did a big screw up and ended up pressing the metal seal back up inside by accident. The rubber layer came off and I got distracted didn’t pull the metal part out and now it’s up in there. How screwed am I?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-24-2019, 10:21 PM	#78
ajsmithvmi Professional Hack 96 Rep 379 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: St Louis iTrader: (5)	Are you still renting out this tool? __________________ MCS 1WNR Dampers \| Ground Control Camber Plates \| E90 M3 front control arms\| E90 M3 front tension arm w/ Turner monoball bearings \| E90 M3 Steering rack conversion \| SPL Adjustable Outer Tie Rod Ends \| M3 Rear Camber Arms \| SPL Adjustable Rear Toe Arms \| M3 Front Caliper Conversion \| 275/35/18 Toyo RA1s \| 18x9.5ET22 Apex EC-7’s \| mFactory LSD \| AIM EVO4S with GS Dash \| New for 2020: LS1 Swap!
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06-27-2019, 01:04 AM	#79
ffuen01@gmail.com Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: BMW 3 series Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Hello mr_malvo, thank you for the great information and very detailed you provided. I was wondering if you would lend out your KTC Tools - Seal Puller and Pusher? You can message me at ffuen01@gmail.com
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-08-2019, 04:55 PM	#80
JonathanC Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: E90 330i se pre lci Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Thanks everyone. Just completed this on my n52, hopefully that puts the serpentine belt saga behind me. My car had the newer style seal which meant the removal tool didn't work. I attacked the seal carefully with a screwdriver from below, tapping the screwdriver with a mallet just under the radiator. Once I'd made a big enough gap I levered it from the block side and it eventually slipped half way out. I then levered it from the pulley side to get it all out. No need to butcher it from above or the sides, one big dent in the metal is all you need. My Nielsen fitting tool would not accommodate the plastic sleeve with the bolts in place. The bolts stood too far proud of the tool. I trimmed the plastic sleeve with tin snips. I took off more than I needed making it fiddly to fit the seal, but I'm reasonably confident I got it. The plastic seal actually goes over the end of the pulley which is clever. I used permatex ultra gray rather than the expensive stuff. Will report back in a few thousand miles.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-16-2019, 12:41 AM	#81
AndyW Supreme Galactic Commander (one galaxy over...) 703 Rep 1,787 Posts Drives: '08 E93, '12 E82, '13 E93 M3 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Washington, USA iTrader: (5)	1. Thank you for this thread. Pretty much matches the Bentley Manual. 2. Thank you JPuehl for loaning me the tool. 3. My loctite gasket maker came with no plunger. Was scratching my head for a while. Got one from some horse syringes we have that happened to fit. I found it frustratingly hard to get any flow rate from the specified tip. I did jam it in the place where the grooves were (and I lined it up correctly) but it was so tight I am not sure I got anything in there very far. 4. I switched to a larger tip to slather the gasket maker on the front of the seal and around the edges. 5. We'll see what happens when I start it up tomorrow...as soon as I figure out how to fit a stock fan onto a CSF Radiator (separate project I was doing in parallel)... __________________ Best, Andy '12 E82-PS2,Stoptechs,Clubsports+M3 bits,Accusump,Wagner DP+EVO III FMIC,ERCP,BMS Intake,Mason Strut Bar,Wedge Tune
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05-02-2020, 07:19 PM	#83
ThorN52 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2006 Join Date: May 2020 Location: Oklahoma iTrader: (0)	Mr Malvo, excellent writing. I know this is an old post, but unfortunately the ghost of the shredded belt is still haunting bimmers to this day! I am in need to borrow/rent the crank seal tool to exorcise the demon. if you still have it please contact me at: ray at compworld dot us Thanks!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-16-2020, 12:36 PM	#84
MadisonF Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 328i Coupe S Join Date: May 2020 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Special Tool for Rent I tried doing this repair without the tool. Seal would not budge. Purchased the tool (wicked expensive for one time use) and will retry the repair today. Message me if you're interested in renting/buying the tool.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-24-2020, 10:27 AM	#85
WaldoZ Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW 335i e92 Join Date: May 2020 Location: Puerto Rico iTrader: (0)	Thanks! Hi, im going through this just right now, i have oil pan out, got out all the belt pieces and now is time to put back the crank seal, this helps a lot, thanks!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-20-2020, 10:32 PM	#87
Tritan84 Second Lieutenant 26 Rep 200 Posts Drives: 2011 535i Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Same thing happened to my f10 😩. Is anyone lending out the Crank Seal tool kit? It would be greatly appreciated
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