Thinking of Replacing Crankshaft Seal

[mr.Hand]

I have a really bad oil leak coming from down near the oil pan where the timing belt is.

I am losing like...a quart a week?

Getting on my nerves having to keep putting oil, but I am worried about screwing everything up.

I have a Haynes for SPrint/Metro 1985-1994, my car is a 1995 with 225,000.

I can see the oil on the ground right under there.

Someone said they thought it was their crank seal but turned out to be the cam?

I am worried about doing the engine timing.

SO when you take it all apart, do you just have to turn everything to match up like in the diagram in the other leaking crankshaft seal post so the timing is correct?

I know the seal isn't much money, but would I get screwed on labor costs at the shop?

Thanks! METRO'S FOR LIFE

[Rooy]

Labor would be quite a bit from a shop. Do both the cam and crank seals (they are the same). I hope you're also planning on getting a new timing belt, tensioner, and possibly water pump since you're in there. When was the last time any of these were replaced?

Setting the cam-crank timing is nothing to worry about. After you put the belt back on and tension it, turn the engine over by hand a couple revolutions and verify that you lined the marks up correctly.

Also see this thread: http://geometroforum.com/topic/2232748

[carpenter_jai]

Yeah, there's lots of good old metro crank/ cam seal replacement and timing threads so if you like to be hands on, search this forum. From ten years with the same metro, I'd say that it's likely that the seals don't last long. I well oiled a lot of parking spots cause I ignored the crank seal and blamed the leak on the valve cover gasket. When I finally did the crank seal, there wasn't much left of it.

The crank seal is harder to do then the cam seal. But definitely do both. Honestly, this might be one of the better jobs to take in to a shop considering the challenge of breaking loose the crank seal bolt. And I've seen a lot of threads of people having a hard time getting the timing sorted out. (I've spent more than a few wasted hours getting it sorted in my garage, if that's worth anything.)

I paid about $240 at the shop for that job 8 years back, I think.

Good Luck
Jai