4.7 oil leak?

[JDMopar]

Hi all. I just installed a newly remanned 4.7 in my wife's 04 crew cab Dakota. The engine from Powertrain Inc. is a great running engine! I have a very slight oil leak at the front of the engine, and I suspect it may be coming from the balancer seal. I reused the old balancer, and used emory cloth to clean it up before installation. I also lubed the new seal and the shaft of the balancer before installing it. Does any of that seal conditioner work, or is it just snake oil? I can jerk the balancer out and replace it with a new one if needed, but MAN...what a job! Of course I would install a new seal at that time....but does in go in from the front of the timing cover? I can't remember! Thanks.

 

[65 sporty]

It goes in from the front

 

[JDMopar]

Thanks....that's what I seemed to remember, but wanted to be sure. I ordered a new balancer and a seal. I crawled under the front of it today while it was running, and the balancer is wobbling slightly. I'll replace it because it must have slipped for it to be starting to wobble.

 

[JDMopar]

Just a follow up. I replaced the balancer and seal, and it hasn't leaked another drop of oil, so problem solved! The job wasn't bad at all. I just had to remove the upper fan shroud, take the belt off, and remove the fan. I had made a spanner wrench to hold the water pump pulley prior to this, so that made removing the fan easier. Replaced the balancer and seal, and bolted it back together. Honestly, it took longer to get the stuff off to get to it than it did to change it.