I found a really great seal removal tool at the local autoparts store. Looks sorta like a skinny, shrunken mountaineer's ice pick on a long handle. The pick ends are flat in cross-section, pointy, and curved. You slip the pointy end under the rubber seal and then slide it until the point is under the metal seal edge, then rock the tool back and the seal pops out. 3 seconds, tops.

If I had this tool when I replaced the seals on my 240 I would not have had to remove the carrier plate. That would have saved 3 hours right there!
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-- Bruce / '82 244 (315k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854

Mark,

First timing belt replacement: I’d plan at least four hours. That will sound ridiculously high to guys who’ve done it 10 times, but it could easily take you that long the first time from the very beginning of the job to the very end, all cleaned up.

Suggestions:

-Remove the valve cover and front cam cap to access the cam seal.

-Remove the seal carrier to access the intermediate seal and the crank seal. Replace these two on the bench.

-Removing the seal carrier also makes it easy to clean up the crank and intermediate shaft where the new seal will ride.

-Notice exactly how deeply all three seals are set before you remove them.

-Have a crank tool on hand. $36 from Chris at Swedish Engineering. Beautiful tool. IPD has a similar tool for about $39.

-Don’t just drive the new seals a little deeper onto virgin territory without cleaning the shafts first. Easy if the seal carrier is removed. They might be crudded up and need cleaning. What you think is “virgin shaft” might in fact be rough and cruddy which wouldn’t do the new seals any good.

-Clean everything along the way.

-Consider replacing the water pump (Hepu $33), the coolant, the tensioner($22), and all the drive belts.

-Have a seal carrier gasket and valve cover gasket on hand.

-Before removing the old belt, line the engine up at #1 TDC and mark the front edge of the old belt right in front of the three marks on the engine. (The original marks on the old belt probably won’t be lined up anymore. Don’t worry about that.) Mark the front edge of the new one right where its factory marks are and carefully compare the two. Make sure the marks on the new one match the marks on the old one, assuming your old one was installed correctly.

-It’ll all be clear when you do the job. Take your time and enjoy the job. It’s not hard, and is actually kind of fun.

Good luck.


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Thanks to everyone for the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, stock, M46; 86 240, 131k

Setting the seals in correctly without folding them or losing the spring or going too deep and off kilter can be a pain without a tool of the correct size. You probably need extra seals before starting in case you wreck a couple. Spend some time lining up a big socket and a piece of PVC to match the seals.

If you get the crank nut off right away, 2 - 3 hours, if not, there is no time limit!