Front Crankshaft Seal Replacement Problems

[Niccid24]

My 5.9 had a oil leak for a while now so I got a wild hair to fix it. Can't be that hard, :-laf Well never really got a chance to check the seal before my son got hammer happy and knocked out the old one, but the oil leak was from the gear cover because about half the bolts were not even hand tight. Note to self use lock-tight. Now here's the problem my crankshaft sensor code was also on so I went ahead and replaced that as well but it seems that my crankshaft is off by millimeters because I am unable to get the gear cover back on with the new seal on. Nor can I get the seal in with the gear cover on. So I was wondering is this normal for the 5.9 or do I have a problem just waiting to happen? Any suggestions on how to get this thing back together before I go crazy? My truck has been down for 2 weeks, and this women is going insane without her truck!:{:{:{
Thanks Nicci

 

[PWong]

Remove cover and seal together as an assembly.
Replace seal on cover.
Reinstall cover and seal assembly by using installation tool that came with the seal.
Then install bolts on cover.
If now you cannot put back all the bolts then you have issue the crankshaft.

 

[Niccid24]

Sounds that easy lol

I have replaced seals before on other trucks so yes I did all that.
So here is the question of the day does the crank sit just off center a hair or does it sit perfectly center? Or has any ever really looked because all I have read anywhere on any page is that it is a pain in the butt to put on the new seal.

 

[PWong]

I had oil leak from seal.
I did my seal twice, first time with stock seal, still leaking.
Then re-did it with sleeve seal kit, no problem at all.
So you got the seal and cover assembly on the crankshaft and you could not catch all the bolts?
Or you could not get the seal onto the crankshaft?

 

[Niccid24]

Well figured out what the problem was, I guess I just am not short enough lol. I can pull my truck up to my shop and I am at perfect working level considering it's a 4x4 and it's a little taller. I did not take off the bracket for the fan shroud and I did not slip the cover between the bracket and the front of the engine so it was not sitting flush on the bottom side of the gear cover. I finally gave up and had both of my boys come out to give me a hand to figure out what the problem was. When I said that I think we need to tilt the cover in first from the bottom is when one of my sons saw what had been done. It slipped on in there like it was meant to be lol
So for all of us blondes out there who are really just getting broke into working on newer trucks things to watch out for when doing this. Crankshaft Sensor- that thing can get in your way really fast and the STUPID Fan Shroud Bracket! I know that is the one that got me! But it's ok because in reading all these different post I found another oil leak that would have made me sell my baby. The one that is behind the fan bracket that a lot of people have posted about. I would have been really mad if I did all of this and still had an oil leak. Thanks guys for all your post even if it seems stupid after words it really does help people.
I see we have the same truck but mines an 'o4 and I have no smarty.
Now on to the lift I finally get to put on!

 

[MLee]

Well good for you. Sounds like it got you out of the kitchen and a little grease under your finger nails.