Hi Guys,
Kj here, I've got an 07 LT2 I've had the crankshaft seal, harmonic balancer and belt replaced twice in the past three months. The seal seems good to go for a couple weeks (both times it's been replaced) then gradually and increasingly begins to leak again. This thing is slinging oil inside and out of the R wheel, down the undercarriage, frame, radiator, garage floor. It's a mess, Can you recommend a specific pulley and seal combination? I'm not certain if it's a fitment issue, cheapo aftermarket parts or what. Apparently it's beyond the scope of knowledge of the repair shop and I'm not inclined to take it back again there despite the fact they owe me yet another repair. I'm capable of performing the repair myself, I should have, got busy at work, needed it done. Very disappointed with the result........ Please advise.

Thank you very much, apologies in advance to the forum vets if this issue has been addressed or is already worn out.
Thanks again everybody, your expertise is greatly appreciated!!
KJ

 

I don't recall anybody mentioning this before.

My only suggestion is to go to a shop and tell them you have an oil leak, NOT replace xxx. Let them do the diagnostics.

The only thing I can think of is the crankshaft and/or bearings are toast. OR, that's not where the leak is.

 

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered any issues with the main bearings or crank. The car has 58k and change I suppose that doesn't rule out the possibility. It runs super, I really hope that's not the problem. Your diagnostic suggestion makes sense. Thanks again, I appreciate it.

 

X2 on what donbrew stated.

Did anyone examine the other seals to see where or why they failed ? Split ? Ripped ? Or just blowing past.
Also take a close look where the seal installs and make sure the casing is not cracked.

 

Does the balancer have an issue like a grove or worn surface there are sleeve kits to address this or order up a replacement HB and seal, However I like Don's suggestion it's their ball and volley now!

 

I'm not sure about the HHR crankshaft pulley/ harmonic balancer pulley but in the old days they had very fine scratches on them that were supposed to force the oil back into the engine. If those have been polished off from the balancer turning {this can happen from normal use over time} it will leak.

You would have to remove the crank shaft pulley and use a magnifying glass to see them.

When I had my '66 Pontiac La mans with the 326 V8 the harmonic balancer would break, it was a very common fault on those engines so it didn't take long before they were hard to get, and the harmonic balencer from a 327 Chevy, which were as common as rocks, did not fit.

When I finally got a new one from a GM dealer {for more money than it was worth} It did not have the fine scratches on it when I got it so it dripped a lot. So,... I used some 800 grit wet sand paper and put some on. This worked out pretty well for about a year when it broke.

The Chevy part was just a bit larger in diameter where it went into the seal on the tin cover. If you tried to force it it would bend the tin and leak. The Chevy seal did not fit the Pontiac tin. The Chevy balancer did fit the Pontiac crankshaft with no problems though. My final cure was to take a Chevy tin and cut the seal part out of both a Chevy and my Pontiac covers and braze the Chevy one in on my Pontiac cover. Then I could use the Chevy balancer and it did not leak and the balancer did not break.

I do know the car is still around out in Iowa City, but I don't know if the newest owner even has the original engine in it anymore. He did get all the right trim to convert it into a GTO though.

Replacing your crankshaft pulley and seal may cure your problem.

 

Donbrew, Fireman, Grizzly and Oldblue, Thank you guys for your input, I appreciate it. I took the car back in today, same shop and asked them to diagnose the leak. They have replaced the HB , seal and belt both times, (I've been invoiced to that effect anyway) They put it on the lift, removed the wheel and cleaned the area... timing cover, oil pan, control arm, drive axel etc. and let it idle for 20 minutes or so. They asked me to come take a look, at that time there wasn't a visible leak at the HB which surprised me because there's oil residue from slung from the radiator to Christmas under there. I told the guy we should probably test it out under a load and recheck to which he agreed. They put the wheel back on and I drove it home (5 miles) put it up on my ramps and could see it leaking where the back of the HB goes through the timing cover. No doubt in my mind it's the seal. They're going to replace it again on Monday. IMO it's a very simple repair, so much so in fact it makes me wonder it something else could be causing it to fail. I was not given either of the old seals, but I will ask to inspect this one and have them take a very close look at the timing cover. It's got 58k on the clock, runs excellent, doesn't burn oil, smoke, nothing. Could the new HB be warped? I noticed a very slight wobble at idle in the shop. If it's an internal issue like crankshaft or mains I would think performance and/or drivability issues would reveal themselves along with the leak. I'm not as familiar with this engine as I'd like to be. I thanks again guys.

 

If the HB wobbles it is A the wrong part or. B not installed and seated on the crank shaft correctly which would cause a leak in the seal ! Another reason to tell me why I hate Monday's thanks Boom Town Rats !

 

I wonder if they performed the 150 degrees after torquing? Wobble is bad, but if it really is and not an optical illusion you should be able to feel it.

 

yes and if you can feel the vibration from the wobbly HB that ain't good