Ford AT4Z-6701-A Crankshaft Oil Seal Assembly

The one-piece rear Crankshaft Seal is pressed into the rear Crankshaft Seal carrier mounted at the rear of the block. Begin by removing the transaxle and the driveplate, followed by the oil pan. Unbolt the Crankshaft Seal and carrier, then clean the mating surface for the Crankshaft Seal carrier on the cylinder block and the crankshaft, ensuring to carefully remove and polish any burrs or raised edges on the crankshaft that may have caused the seal to fall. Lightly coat the inside lip of the new seal with clean engine oil and use a thin, durable two-inch wide plastic strip or a cut two-liter plastic beverage bottle around the inside circumference of the seal to act as a liner for installation. With the plastic seal liner or tool in place, carefully move the new carrier (with seal factory-installed) into position by sliding it onto the contact surface of the crankshaft. Install the Crankshaft Seal carrier bolts and finger tighten them while holding the carrier in place, ensuring the bottom of the seal carrier aligns precisely with the bottom edge of the engine block for a flush fit before tightening the carrier mounting bolts, as improper alignment may lead to oil pan leaks. Carefully remove the plastic liner or tool to allow the new seal to contact the crankshaft mating surface correctly, then tighten the Crankshaft Seal carrier to the specified torque using the proper sequence. The remainder of the installation follows the reverse order of removal.

Replacing the rear Crankshaft Seal with a new one is not an easy and time-consuming exercise which calls for several special tools, hence the need to have prepared all the necessary tools beforehand. The initial step would be to remove the cable from the negative terminal of the battery; secondly, judiciously jack up the car and place it on jack stands. Then the transmission, and the flywheel/driveplate, and toothed-wheel, which is engaged by the CKP sensor between the crankshaft and the driveplate should be detached. Use a particular instrument to extract the crankshaft rear oil slinger together with the rear Crankshaft Seal from the retainer. To prevent oil leaks after adding the new seal, it is advisable not to mar or hurt the crankshaft sealing surface or the bore on the engine block. Remove and clean the crankshaft and seal bore in the retainer; use brake system cleaner to degrease the crankshaft and the area for the seal. Check the seal contact area on the crankshaft for roughness that will adversely affect the new seal lip causing oil leakage and use oil to lubricate the lip of the new seal and the outer diameter of the crankshaft such that edges of the new seal are not rolled. Align the new seal on the crankshaft so that in case it was marked, it offered a label that read ''THIS SIDE OUT'' towards the back part of the engine. Insert a special rear Crankshaft Seal installation tool to fit the seal to the bottom of the seal retainer and to make sure that it is even all the way around the circumference of the seal retainer. However, the seal retainer plate can be unbolted to have the seal replaced on a bench with a new gasket being applied to the seal retainer and five minutes after the application of the RTV. Last of all, the crankshaft rear oil slinger is to be installed with the help of a special tool that is used for this purpose only, then the process of installation is to be completed in the reverse order of the process of removal.

Retain the transaxle as well as the driveplate and then remove the oil pan. Remove the bolts and dots and bring out the Crankshaft Seal and the carrier and thereafter clean the regions of mating of the Crankshaft Seal carrier and the crankshaft to that of the cylinder block. Clean up the crankshaft surface while being very keen to remove any additional surface roughness that may have caused seal breakdown. Apply clean engine light oil on the inner edge of the new seal, just enough to prevent sticking during installation; one can use a thin hard plastic of two-inch width or a liner derived from a two-liter plastic bottle cut to fit inside the installed seal. Once you have the liner in position slide the new carrier into position with the factory installed seal placed on the crankshaft on the contact point. Torque the Crankshaft Seal carrier bolts and simply tighten them while holding the carrier, such that the bottom of the seal carrier sits perfectly flat on the bottom edge of the engine block before tightening the bolts. Due to this alignment plays a crucial role and care must be taken especial if an oil pan leak is to occur. The plastic liner must be withdrawn gently so that the new seal interacts with the crankshaft mating surface properly - finally, snug the Crankshaft Seal carrier bolts in the described order to the recommended fastener torque. The rest of the installation is done in the reverse progression of its removal.

The one-piece rear Crankshaft Seal is pressed into a carrier mounted at the rear of the block. For 2.7L engines and 2015 and later 3.5L engines, the crankshaft rear seal and retainer must be replaced as an assembly since the seal cannot be replaced separately. Begin by removing the transaxle, followed by the driveplate and the crankshaft sensor ring. Next, remove the Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor. On 2014 and earlier models, the old seal can be removed by prying it out with a screwdriver or by creating small holes in the seal flange with a sharp pick, then using a screw-in type slide-hammer puller. It is important to note how far the seal is recessed into the bore before removal, as the new seal must be recessed the same amount. Care must be taken to avoid scratching or damaging the crankshaft or the bore in the housing to prevent oil leaks. For easier installation on 2014 and earlier models, unbolt and remove the seal retainer plate, then use two of the retainer-to-oil pan bolts to push the retainer from the engine. Remove all traces of RTV sealant and apply a 3/16-inch bead of RTV where the block and oil pan flanges meet. Install the retainer to the engine and secure all bolts within 10 minutes of applying the sealant. On 2014 and earlier 3.5L and 3.7L engines, ensure the bore is clean, then apply a film of clean engine oil to the outer edge and lips of the new seal, pressing it squarely into the bore with a special seal installation tool, as hammering is not recommended. For 2.7L engines, tighten the bolts in sequence to the specified torque. For 2015 and later 3.5L engines, first install and tighten the seal-retainer-to-engine block bolts in sequence, then install and tighten the oil pan-to-seal retainer bolts. Finally, reinstall the CKP sensor, the driveplate ensuring the crankshaft sensor ring is positioned correctly, and then reinstall the transaxle.

The seal installation can be made easier by unbolting and removing the seal retainer plate. After removing all the mounting bolts, use two of the retainer-to-oil pan bolts and start them into the two threaded holes in the retainer plate. Tightening these two bolts alternately will push the retainer from the engine.

Position the new seal in the bore with the open end of the seal facing IN.

Another procedure for removing the seal is to drill a small hole on each side of the seal and place a self-tapping screw in each hole. Use these screws as a means of pulling the seal out without having to pry on it.

To prevent an oil leak after the new seal is installed, be very careful not to scratch or otherwise damage the crankshaft sealing surface or the bore in the engine block.

The vehicle should be raised and supported securely on jackstands.

With the plastic seal liner in place, carefully move the new seal into position by sliding it onto the contact surface of the crankshaft. A special seal installer (manufacturer tool #303-178) or a large socket or piece of pipe the correct size can be used with a small hammer to tap the seal in place on the block.

Unbolt the oil seal and carrier to remove them.

The second step is to remove the oil pan.

The seal should be flush with the timing chain cover and remain square when installed.