mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

[jabfd]

Hello Guys

still dealing with this 470 i have been have a/f getting into my oil after finding out that my e/m riser was gasket was leaking i removed and fixed that pressure tested and that is ready to go back on the engine thanks to all the help i received from this site. Now i pressure tested the engine and it was droping i ran paper clips in the weep hole never saw anything come out but i could only get the clip in about two inches after looking at some pics online of the front cover believe the weep hole is about three to 3.5 inches long so i kept trying to ram this paper clip in i finaly broke this wall and the paper clip slid in another inche and could right away in was leaking from cam seals any tips on getting crank pulley off and any other advice i need to know about this job would be great thanks Jeff .

 

[blkzoe]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

I just did this this week. Step #1 - read here:

Mercruiser 470 coolant leak

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

question has any body ever replace only one seal from looking at pics it seems a lot easier to pry out the first seal and put a new one in . if the seal goes it will leak out the weep hole so no damage to motor just a thought let me know what you guys think (i know its not the right way but will it work) i think that it will cut down on time and not need to lift engine and play with oil pan gasket thanks for thoughts Jeff.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Wow, sounds like that was your problem all along. A harmonic balancer puller borrowed from autozone will get the rotor off. If you have enough room for the puller you do not have to mess with the front motor mount. You will have to make some spacers for the puller kit to get the rotor back on. Do not try to drive it on! If you mess up the little piece of pan gasket under the cover, just use a razor to trim the ends and cut a new piece from sheet gasket material (rather than trying to replace the gasket). NAPA aviation sealant is a good substitute for perfect seal. Come on back with any questions, lots of help here.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

question has any body ever replace only one seal from looking at pics it seems a lot easier to pry out the first seal and put a new one in . if the seal goes it will leak out the weep hole so no damage to motor just a thought let me know what you guys think (i know its not the right way but will it work) i think that it will cut down on time and not need to lift engine and play with oil pan gasket thanks for thoughts Jeff.

No can do. Replace them both along with the crank oil seal. I would use OEM seals, but aftermarket gaskets are OK.

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

stony yes i think the p/o stuffed some kind of goo in the hole so it would not leak and i bought it. I got one season before the secound seal gave out. but now i know its the seals knowing is half the battle!!! I had to cut an inch off my puller so i can fit it in the space i tried pulling it yesterday but it was very hard how much force should i have to put to break it free (10 inch adjustable , 2 foot breaker bar etc.) i have the puller on it now and left it over night and sprayed pb blaster to help just dont want to put to much force on it thank you and everybody else on this site . also how can you get the crank to stop turning when trying crank down the puller i was using a screw driver in one of the slot on the rotor / damper

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Yeah it can be a chore, it will let go with a bang, takes plenty of pressure (2' bar). I think i used a bar through the rotor to keep it from turning. You don't want to tap the rotor, it may cause the magnets inside to break loose.

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Yeah it can be a chore, it will let go with a bang, takes plenty of pressure (2' bar). I think i used a bar through the rotor to keep it from turning. You don't want to tap the rotor, it may cause the magnets inside to break loose.

Ok I will try over the weekend hopefully the weather will be better and thanks for getting back to me .

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Here's a good read from Breezeworks.net someone had posted about doing theirs. They took quite a few pictures along the way.
Discussion Forum: Weeping about the Weep Hole

I like to thread the crank bolt back in so the puller is pressing against the head of the bolt instead of the nose of the crankshaft.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Going to start the same repair in the next couple of weeks, so I will tag along on this one.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

since there are a couple of folks watching, couple of tips on the rotor: When you go to reinstall the rotor you absolutely should not try to drive it back on, you could knock the magnets in the inside loose which could cause a real mess. You need to pull (or push) it back on. A harmonic balancer puller set from Autozone will do it but you need to make some spacers and fiddle around because of the depth of the rotor. A threaded rod or long bolt (1/2 inch fine thread) and some greased washers will do it. thread the rod all the way into the threaded crank hole then add a stack of washers with a nut behind them. Tighten the nut against the washers to push the rotor back on. You can add a couple of nuts jammed together (or weld one on) to hold onto the end of the rod if need be. when done unscrew the rod and install the crank washer and bolt. Hope this helps a little.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

since there are a couple of folks watching, couple of tips on the rotor: When you go to reinstall the rotor you absolutely should not try to drive it back on, you could knock the magnets in the inside loose which could cause a real mess. You need to pull (or push) it back on. A harmonic balancer puller set from Autozone will do it but you need to make some spacers and fiddle around because of the depth of the rotor. A threaded rod or long bolt (1/2 inch fine thread) and some greased washers will do it. thread the rod all the way into the threaded crank hole then add a stack of washers with a nut behind them. Tighten the nut against the washers to push the rotor back on. You can add a couple of nuts jammed together (or weld one on) to hold onto the end of the rod if need be. when done unscrew the rod and install the crank washer and bolt. Hope this helps a little.

If you go with the threaded rod/nut/washers instead of a harmonic balancer puller set to reinstall the rotor, why grease the washers?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

If you go with the threaded rod/nut/washers instead of a harmonic balancer puller set to reinstall the rotor, why grease the washers?

So they will not jam together and try to turn as a unit as you tighten the nut against them. You want some slippage there to make it turn easier.

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

I had a little time tonight and was able to get the rotor off it took and 18 inch long wrench .
But I got it off was it broke free everthing went smooth .Hopefully tomorrow I will get the cover off which way do the seals go is the spring face the engine on both seals ? Also does each seal get pressed in one from the back and one from the front of cover or both from the front of cover ? I was reading other post and not sure thanks again for all your help

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

BOTH of the seals face in the same direction, AWAY from the block. The garter spring faces what you want to keep in. In this case it is the coolant (away from the block). The oil seal on crank faces the block, with the garter spring facing what you want to keep in, the oil. I don't think it matters how you press them in, but they should be flush with their respective surfaces with a space between so the weep hole can drain the space. Make sure the weep hole is not blocked after you install the seals.

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

BOTH of the seals face in the same direction, AWAY from the block. The garter spring faces what you want to keep in. In this case it is the coolant (away from the block). The oil seal on crank faces the block, with the garter spring facing what you want to keep in, the oil. I don't think it matters how you press them in, but they should be flush with their respective surfaces with a space between so the weep hole can drain the space. Make sure the weep hole is not blocked after you install the seals.

Ok so I can just press one in and then press the other one right behind it each seal needs to be flush with the outside of the cover I think I got it i don't have time today but hopefully tomorrow I wil get the cover off thanks again I will keep you posted

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Knock out both seals, but try very hard to keep one seal in as good of shape as you can.
Tap in the new front seal and get it flush with the housing, then use one of the old seals installed backwards to finish installing the new seal to the bottom. Flip the cover over and knock out the old seal, then install the new second new one.
Also, use some emery cloth on the end of the cam shaft to get it nice and smooth again. There are speedy sleeves available to repair any grooves in the end of the camshaft.

The best advise is:
Do it right, or do it again. This repair is very important and needs to be done correctly.

 

[Arkyhunter46]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

"Also, use some emery cloth on the end of the cam shaft to get it nice and smooth again. There are speedy sleeves available to repair any grooves in the end of the camshaft. "

The biggest problem I have had is the cam shaft itself. The seal cuts a deep groove in it and it leaks. If you measure it with a good caliper you can find stainless micro sleeves to solve this problem at a good auto parts house by installing over the damaged area of the cam. Good luck!!!!!

 

[jabfd]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

Update I got the cover off however the oil pan gasket came with cover it is still stuck too the cover just cut on each end . Do I pull it off keep it on and use gasket sealer permetex , aviation sealer etc. I know some use gasket sealer with no gasket but not sure if that will work on this application. Maybe leave the old gasket and permatex let me know your thoughts guys and takes again
Also the old seal look like there made all out of rubber and new look like a standard metal out side and rubber inside thanks again for everybody's help

 

[stonyloam]

Re: mercruiser 470 cam seals repair

For the gasket you could do a couple of things. If the piece is pretty much intact you could try to seal it back in, or you could clean it off, use a good sharp razor to trim the edges of the gasket on the pan. Then get a sheet of gasket material of the right thickness and using the cover as a pattern cut a new gasket piece. Make sure to seal the ends well. When you put the covers back on make sure you tighten them carefully and use a torque wrench. they can crack pretty easily if you overtighten them.