I have an 88 TII that i am replacing the front main seal do to it leaking. The engine is out of the car with the clutch and flywheel removed. I am aware of the fact that if you aren't careful, then needle bearing on the e-shaft can slip down and not seat right. I am worried that this might have happend. I made the mistake of prying the oil seal out with a screwdriver placed on the end of the e-shaft. I guess my question is what are the possibilities of the bearing falling down off the spacer with the method i used? Is there anyway to check and see to make sure, with out having to pull the front cover off? Thanks in advance.


Steve

 

The needle bearing slipping out happens when the engine is still in the car and the clutch is disengaged, if it's out of the car you shouldn't have a problem.

 

Ok, but i'm confused why the clutch would make a difference. Can somebody explain that to me?

 

Ah you're right it can happen, I'm sorry.

"If the engine is out of the car, set it with the flywheel down, front pulley up, the whole time you are working on the front of the engine. Do not roll the engine horizontal until the front bolt is tightened."

So did you turn it horizontally? If you did to be safest you'd want to flip it back on the flywheel side, take the front cover off and make sure everything is in it's correct space, and then reassemble it.

 

I had the engine supended on chains, so neither the flywheel or the pulley was up. But, my prying the screwdriver on the end of the e-shaft would cause it to go torwards the rear of the motor, allowing the bearing to drop below the spacer. Does anybody see my reasoning here?

 

if you pry on the timing gear towards the engine then you shouldn't have a problem, it's when the front gears pull forward is when the bearings can fall out of place.

 

Your talking about "End play" The E-shaft will slide forward and backward just a little. Hopefully less than .028"

How can you check to see if the bearing is not out of place????

I am not sure how to check that with out taking the front cover off. IF you put the E-shaft front bolt on It will bind if the bearing has slipped and you'll have a hard time turing the engine over. So I would say of you put the 19mm bolt in and tighten (just a little) and it doesn't bind then you may be OK. I hate to tell you to take the cover off. You'll need a new gasket.

I would also hate to see you mess things up further by not being thourough, you'll have to decide to gamble that the bearing is in right.

 

I'd say better safe than sorry on pulling the front cover. It'll be better to pull it and be sure than not and crush the needle bearing.

 

Well, i have already tightned the bolt down. I went up there an rotated the engine. It rotates freeley, or feel's normal i should say. I still dont have the flywheel back on though. If i had crushed the bearing, would it be noticibly more diffucult to turn?

 

Sorry, but right there in the factory service manual, in the engine section, there is a measurement you can make to determine if it fell. A depth gauge or calipers is required.
The factory service manual is free and online.

I'm guessing, but it it fell, and you torqued the front bolt, I'd say it'd be very hard to rotate. Measure the slop/endplay if you do nothing else.

 

^ I am looking at the FSM there is no measurement for seeing if the bearing dropped. The depth guage is for checking the End Play......or tell me what page.section you are looking at.