Have you replaced an OM615, 616 or 617 Front main seal?

sure

__________________
Jim

I have been lucky, no.
Maybe this thread needs to be merged some how with the poll on how many.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Yes I have done this twice now. Once with the engine in the car and once with the engine out.

I rate this as an easy - but time consuming job. It is particularly so if you are doing it with the engine in the car. Make as much working space for yourself as possible. Take out the radiator and any A/C stuff that may be in the way. Don't try and work around obstacles it just isn't worth it. You need to approach the situation of an engine out of the car - so no obstructions and as much light as possible.

The first time I replaced the seal (in the car) I left the spacer ring in place. It was impossible to remove. When I came to rebuild the engine it turned out to be only possible to remove the spacer ring by drilling into it and knocking it off of the crankshaft - when the crankshaft was removed from the block. No special puller would have got that bugger off - I'm quite sure of that.

I'm pretty sure the first seal failed because of the wear marks on this spacer.

For both of the times I replaced this seal I used the best special tool on the planet

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OM617CrankshaftSeal

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Yea, I agree with Army (note the absence of 'the'...)
it's easier with the engine out, cos access is tricky. I'd say that a rachet end to fit the cap screw would be semi crucial (with engine in car) to avoid rounding out the hole...

I should change my user name to totally envious of tarnbarn's location...

As for those Allen head bolts on the front pulley - now they were fun to drill out... actually thinking about the first time I did the job it was a bit of a pain in the arse... but being a mechanic is a bit like exercising a muscle - you get better at it the more frequently you do it.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

To remove the allen bolts in front of the crank (or any other allen bolt) it may be necessary to hit them head on with a hammer, or a drift and a hammer when space allows, to loosen them up.
Then clean the holes in the socket head screws with a small screw driver and compressed air before attempting to loosen them.
Use a high quality allen socket that is not yet worn out at the tip, and tap it into the bolt with a hammer to make sure it is seated all the way.
This procedure works in 95% of all cases.
In case the bolt was already butchered, you can use a 12 point socket of the right size and hammer it into the rounded out head of the bolt.
This should do the job.
If you have (or can make) a small enough 2 arm puller, you can pull the chain sprocket and the spacer 2 or 3 mm forward.
Then push the sprocket back and grab the spacer with the puller.

__________________

76 240 D. Bought in 1998 for $25.
85 300D. Got it for free with a bad engine. ( Sold )
60 Unimog 404. What was left of it, was given to me. Now powerd by 617A.
88 560 SEL. Bought without engine and trans. Now powerd by 617A.
67 250 SE. Cuope. For resto or sale.
64 220SE. For resto.

For those waiting to do this job, here are the parts and tools.

OM615, 616, 617 Front main seal parts and tools you used ?
OM615, 616, 617 Front main seal parts and tools you used ?

In removing the balancer a large torque wrench is required. THis may seem obvious to some, but where and what tools could be users to lock the crank form turning, while removing the balancer bolt?

Polls asks simple question. No option for NO !

Perhaps a rephrase "Those that have, how did it go?"

Sorry Whunter. :-)

__________________
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Thanks for the correction. Let me rephrase this. For those that have changed the front seal, how did it go when re-torquing the balancer onto the crankshaft?

Greg. Correction was intended for the Original Poster, that I assume was WHunter. My post was not directed at the post preceding mine or any others more recent.

The apology to Roy, in my post, was out of respect for the man that has selflessly helped me on many occasions.

I have not performed the service in question, although I could assume that I may have to in the future? I have exposed the inner workings of my 617 and my 603(s).

Have a great day everyone.

__________________
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

X3, much easier out of the car. Pretty much agree with all comments. I'd do it again, no problem.

__________________
79 MB 280 SEL Euro 133k
77 MB 450SL 154k
05 Mustang GT Vert (3) 104k
12 TSX Wagon Tech (66k) (192k)
06 Subaru Outback base (135k) 164k
16 Acura MDX (109k) 111k
18 Silverado 2500 LTZ Midnight (212) 56k
97 Ford Ranger 163k
11 RAV4 154k
01 Escape 173k
04 Honda Pilot 292k
1967 Mustang (Resto Project)
1968 Mustang (Parts Bin)
00 Ford Ranger 124k

I just finished this yesterday. I found if you remove the seal ring the back side is chamfered, but a little rough. I polished the chamfer & beveled the top edge so the ring could be inserted in the seal after it was installed without damaging the seal. This made it much easier to insure the seal was square & flush without having to worry about protecting the seal from the ring while driving it in. You definitely want to use new dowels when installing the harmonic balancer as they deform when driven in for an interference fit. I wonder how many of the damper/crank failures we read about were because the old dowels were used. The new ones are about 2mm longer than the originals & must be ground down to fit.

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
82 300SD 202K
82 300SD 233K
83 300TD 340K
82 300TD 98k euro (parts on the hoof)
85 300TD 282K
83 300TD 197K