The front crank seal in my 1980 W116 300SD is leaking. I'd like to replace it, but the OM617 engine manual says to remove the radiator. I really don't want to have to drain the coolant and deal with plugging the lines to the transmission and oil cooler. Removing the radiator is a pain anyway.
Obviously the fan shroud needs to come off, but it looks like there is enough room to get the crank pulley and harmonic balancer off with the radiator in place. Even if for some reason the bolt in the center of the puller tool is too long, I could cut it down or make a shorter bolt. I can get underneath the car to work on the seal and can put cardboard or something over the radiator to protect it.
Has anyone replaced the front crank seal with the radiator still in place? I am hoping I am able to do this. There is a good 5" between the face of the crank pulley and the radiator. The width of the pulleys is about 3", and they don't need a puller tool to remove them. That leaves the harmonic balancer, which itself is only about 2" wide. By this time I'd have about 8" or so of clearance between the harmonic balancer and the radiator, which should be plenty of room for the puller tool, especially if I cut down the center bolt. What say ye?
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1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles
01-21-2013, 04:39 PM
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