Hello
Im replacing the front oil seal on my 1999 xj8. Im also drilling out the broken crankshaft bolt that snapped when I was removing it as some previous idiots seemed to have torqued it up with a rattle gun. Im at 10.5 mm drill holes currently.
The question I have is referencing the current OLD oil seal arrangement. I have a photo of my 1999 xj8 and another photo from a forum member of the oilseal/crankshaft area, but they look different. I have on my car a gap between the oil seal and the crank, yet the other photo dosnt seem to have that. I sense the other photo may be from another model perhaps, I cant find and missing parts from parts catalogues that configure the crankshaft, so im hoping my setup is normal. I can fit a screwdriver between the oil seal and crankshaft into the engine.

advice appreciated
best regards
Peter

 

That seal looks pretty beat up to me, was it leaking?

That was probably a silly question.

 

yes , was leaking badly. Car had a blocked part load breather tube and I think the pressure build up in the engine escaed through this seal .
I notice on the harmonic balancer that there is a protruding cone that seems to fit in the gap that I pointed out in the photo. I think the set up correct, but would like some one to confirm. Having said that, I would presume the other photo on the right I have from another forum member is a dfferent model or later design.
regards

Peter

 

It just looks like a rubber covered seal in yours and a metal cased one in the other.

What else do you think is different?

 

Doesn't the harmonic dampener take up that space?


I wonder if that seal comes out from the front or back hmm.


Whenever doing a dampener job, like you are that was leaking, I would clean that seal with a can of brake cleaner, let dry and smear black rtv around that seal, and coat the balancer hub in a light film of Vaseline, so the rtv didn't stick to it, and that was that.

But if your old seal is busted, id replace it.

 

yes im replacing the seal after I drill that bolt out that cracked.
The space is imo taken up by the harmonic balancer as you suggest, but that other photo I thought was from an xj8.. must be a totally different setup to mine.
It just concerned me that it was different and I thought that the idiots that had been working on the car at some point may have forgotten to replace a steel sleeve or something to make it look like the other photo.
Im sure the seal comes out forward, seems that it just needs to be grasped and pulled out forward.
Peter

 

In JEPC under crankshaft look at #11, sealing ring. Or the TSB on harmonic balancer removal posted by Motorcarman in many threads.

Maybe the rubber bit is the sealing ring that has been crushed is is out of place. It is distinct from the oil seal.