Ate a crank seal already

[BARRACUDA1968]

I'm pulling the motor again this winter to deal with my cometics leaking oil. Tired of the mess. I had the car on the lift yesterday and noticed my crank seal is leaking too.

Here's what's going through my head right now and you guy's tell me what you think.

My blocks been line honed twice that I know of so I have to use a .010 timing chain. I'm wondering if that's eating the seal? I'm 1500 miles on this motor. I know the seal "should" cover the distance but why the failure so soon? The seal was pressed in properly by a machinist buddy of mine so it wasn't damaged at install.

I'm to the point where I might just start over with a virgin block as much as I hate to but my engine builder who assembled it for me last winter said the block is done if I ever had to go through it again. Plus the deck is short, I think I'm 6 in the hole. I almost shit canned the block last winter and started over but I flipped a coin and decided to use it.

The guy that built all my Mopar engines will do the machine work for me at a reasonable price and I've been in touch with him this morning. He's all in on the idea. I just want a solid motor when I put it back in next spring.

Cut my losses and do a new block or did I just get a bad crank seal?

 

[BEATAV8]

Last time I saw a front seal issue it was caused by the balancer sitting too far in, too close to the seal. Sorta common actually. Shimmed it out to fix it.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Are you talking about the back of the balancer riding up against the crank seal? If so mines not doing that.

 

[BEATAV8]

Yep

 

[Eticket]

Do you have the oil slinger in there on the crank?

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Yes the oil slinger is there.

I'm going to run it out the rest of the season here in Iowa and pull it. I'll make a decision on what to do then I guess.

 

[Eticket]

Did you have the head and deck surfaces machined really fine for the Cometics? And what about putting a stock cover with rope seal back in it? I would see what you can do about checking the tension on the seal when the balancer is in. Maybe compare it when it's in the front cover without crank vs on the crank.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

No the block was prepped the first time for stock style head gaskets. Lifted the heads immediately so went with TA heads and cometics the second time around. Pulled them apart and sprayed copper and installed them. Didn't use any silicone around the edges like I see a lot of guys with success do. I've also read many guys install them dry and they don't leak. My block is machined out so if I keep it I may just switch to felpro's.

I'll have it on the stand this winter and I'll do some measuring without the seal. We'll see how far off center I really am. I would think the seal could make up the difference so I'll also be looking at the balancer shaft.