How to replace the front and rear crankshaft oil seals on a VAZ 2109

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Crankshaft oil seals or seals work in rotating mechanisms and act as protective dampers. Their main task is to protect the working device from oil leakage. Thus, the oil seal is a sealing element.

Brand new cuffs

Causes of failure

Traces of oil drips are the main and main sign that indicates wear of the crankshaft oil seal. The presence of traces of oil indicates that the tightness of the engine lubrication system has been compromised.

Oil seals can be destroyed under the influence of several factors:

• Natural wear and tear, aging of the rubber used for the manufacture of crankshaft oil seals;
• Incorrect installation, which led to premature wear and loss of functionality. This usually happens during repairs at dubious service stations or when an inexperienced car owner does the replacement with his own hands;
• Mechanical damage to the element;
• Use of a defective, counterfeit oil seal.

The blame should not always be placed solely on the cuffs, which come in front and back. Before you suspect seals, make sure that other potential causes are not to blame.

Checking node status

By checking all elements of the lubrication system, you can make sure that the cause really lies in worn out, deformed oil seals. And then they can be replaced with new elements.

If problems are detected with the crankshaft seals, the only correct solution is to replace them.

Where is the front crankshaft oil seal located?

• It is located in the oil pump cover itself, or to be more precise, it is located on the toe of the crankshaft. In order to see it you will have to remove the timing belt cover. (You will learn how to remove the timing belt cover in this article as we proceed)
• When the cover is removed, turn your attention to the lowest crankshaft pulley, which is indicated by a red arrow in the photo. It is under this pulley that the front oil seal is located.

When should you replace the front crankshaft oil seal?

• The appearance of various kinds of cracks, ruptures and defects on it.

• The oil seal must also be replaced when it becomes oily, that is, when oil leaks are detected on the oil seal.

It is not always necessary to immediately change the oil seal when oil leaks are detected, because oil can also ooze through the oil seal for the following reasons:

When the crankcase ventilation system is dirty. (You can learn how to clean the ventilation system from the article specifically dedicated to: “Cleaning the system”)

And also when the hoses of the crankcase ventilation system are strongly pinched. In this case, inspect all system hoses for kinks and correct the problem if possible.

Rear oil seal

It is necessary to replace it if an oil leak appears and lubricant gets onto the clutch discs. Because of this, clutch efficiency drops significantly or disappears completely.

Back cuff

The reason for the appearance of oil on the clutch discs may also be the front oil seal, the replacement of which we will talk about later.

To replace the rear crankshaft oil seal, follow these instructions:

• De-energize the car by disconnecting the negative terminal from the battery;
• Remove the flywheel;
• Remove the clutch housing rear shield;
• Using a socket wrench, remove the rear oil seal holder mounting bolts;
• Remove the oil seal holder, taking the sealing gasket along with it. It will be replaced when installing a new rear oil seal;
• Using a vice, clamp the holder into place. Arm yourself with a mandrel (such as a core) and press the damaged rear oil seal out of the holder;
• Clean the holder with a rag, removing all dirt. Make sure that the holder has no mechanical defects, damage, or chips. If they are, you will also have to change the holder itself;
• Having picked up a new, quality-tested oil seal, arm yourself with a mandrel that matches the diameter of the oil seal. This will allow you to press the element into place. Please note that the cuff must be mounted with the working edge inward;
• Be sure to change the rear oil seal holder gasket. This recommendation does not depend on the condition of the old gasket;
• To facilitate the process of fitting the oil seal onto the crankshaft flange, make a small chamfer around the perimeter with a needle file;
• The edge is lubricated with ordinary engine oil, like the crankshaft flange, after which the element is put on the holder;
• Using a wooden stick, straighten the edge of the cuff;
• Reassemble the structure following the reverse dismantling sequence.

Before assembly, make sure the front oil seal is in good condition. If there are signs of wear, deformation, or oil leakage, it is better to also replace it along with the rear crankshaft oil seal.

Replacing the crankshaft oil seal on a VAZ 2109: step-by-step instructions

First, the car is set to the handbrake. The nut securing the generator to the tension bar is loosened, and the generator drive belt is removed. Next, you should call an assistant to engage fifth gear and keep the brake pedal depressed to prevent the crankshaft from turning. This will prevent you from unscrewing the bolt securing the accessory drive pulley. For convenience, you can remove the front right wheel and use a long wrench to unscrew the pulley bolt.

What's next? After removing the element, you need to get to the timing pulley. To do this, the plastic protective cover is disassembled, one wheel of the car is hung out, and third or fifth gear is engaged. By rotating the wheel clockwise, two marks are set: on the camshaft pulley and the crankshaft pulley.

Then you can remove the timing belt. Using a flat-head screwdriver, pry up and remove the crankshaft toothed pulley, and then the key on its flange. Now you can use a screwdriver to pry out the old oil seal. We pry it off by the outermost contour. This should be done with caution so as not to leave scratches on the crankshaft flange.

These deformations will wear out new seals faster even if installed correctly. Some people use a cunning method of removal: they screw a self-tapping screw into it, clamp it with pliers and pull it out along with the seal. Before installation, the working (inner) surface of the oil seal is lubricated with engine oil. Next, install it on the seat. The new oil seal should be pressed in using a machined mandrel or block, gently tapping it with a hammer.

It is important not to damage the element body. The new seal must be pressed in all the way and fit clearly in its seat without distortion.

Replacing the back cuff

As mentioned above, replacing the front crankshaft oil seal on a VAZ 2109 is the most common and popular procedure, therefore, when carrying out repair work, it is very important to strictly follow all the recommendations of the manufacturer and be extremely careful, since the properties of the rubber from which the oil seal is made are such that it is very easy to damage during installation. There are two ways to replace the front crankshaft cuff: quick - “homemade” and recommended by the manufacturer.

First way

The method invented by the car owners themselves is as follows:

• Remove the timing belt;
• Using two screwdrivers/winders, remove the toothed pulley from the crankshaft, do not forget about its key;

Removing the crankshaft pulley and its key

• Using a hook or screwdriver, tear out the old cuff;

Taking out the old cuff

• We put the new cuff in place, and to make installation easier, lubricate its surface with oil;
• Using a mandrel, hammer it in until it stops.

Installing a new oil seal

Second way

When replacing the front crankshaft oil seal on a VAZ 2109, we will need the following:

• A pair of screwdrivers;
• Socket wrench set to “17”;
• Socket and open-end wrenches, as well as a “10” head;
• As a mandrel, the head is set to “27”;
• Timing pulley tensioner key;
• Since the “correct” replacement of the front cuff requires dismantling the oil pump, you need to stock up on a new gasket;
• And, of course, a new oil seal.

Next, you need to provide access to the engine crankcase, for which we put the car on an overpass or a lift, drain the oil and, as with any repair, disconnect the battery.

• If available, remove the engine protection, or rather its crankcase;
• Using a ten key, unscrew the four bolts securing the protective timing cover and remove it;
• We unscrew the six bolts securing the protective cover of the right half of the engine compartment using a key “8”;
• We remove the generator drive belt by loosening its tension with a key “17”;
• Remove the right front wheel;
• Having engaged a low gear, using a nineteen key, we “tear off” the bolt securing the pulley, then unscrew it and remove the pulley itself;
• We install the piston of the first cylinder at top dead center (attributable to the compression stroke). In this case, the installation marks on the rear protective casing and the camshaft drive must match, and the mark on the flywheel, visible through the clutch housing hatch, is located opposite the middle division of the installation scale.

• Using the key “17”, loosen the tension roller and remove the timing belt;
• We dismantle its lower cover from the clutch housing by unscrewing the four bolts securing it with a “10” key;
• Using a “10” head, unscrew the sixteen bolts securing the engine crankcase cover and remove it along with the gasket;
• Using the same head, unscrew the bolts securing the oil receiver to the oil pump and to the second main bearing, remove it;

• By analogy with the first method, use two screwdrivers to dismantle the toothed pulley (we also keep an eye on the key so as not to lose it);
• Using a “10” wrench, unscrew the 6 bolts of the oil pump (fastening it to the engine block)…

• ...and after tapping the pump housing, remove it together with the oil seal.

Removing the oil pump

We considered the further replacement process in the first option, but the assembly process itself occurs in the reverse order. Don’t forget to put a new gasket under the oil pump, having previously coated it with sealant (this makes it easier to install on the cylinder block).

It is also advisable to install a fresh gasket under the crankcase cover.

As a rule, along with replacing the front seal, the rear seal is replaced, which significantly prevents the possibility of its sudden destruction, especially since the degree of wear of the seals is almost the same, while detecting a leak in the rear seal is much more difficult. Before replacing the crankshaft oil seal on a VAZ 2109, you need to make sure where the leak is coming from - from the gearbox or from the car engine.

• We remove the engine flywheel by first unscrewing the bolts (six in number) securing it to the crankshaft, while using a screwdriver to keep it from turning (to do this, we screw in the bolt securing the gearbox);
• Unscrewing the last bolt securing the flywheel, remove the locking plate, and then the flywheel itself;

• We remove the rear clutch shield from its guides and unscrew the eight bolts of the rear cover of the engine block, after which we remove it;

Removing the back cover

• We dismantle the oil seal housing, carefully prying it away from the cylinder block with a screwdriver;
• We take out the old cuff from its seat...;

Pull out the back cuff

• ...in its place, using a mandrel with a diameter of 99 millimeters, we press a new radial cuff;

• We replace the old gasket of the cuff body;

New housing gasket

• Having applied a thin layer of engine oil to the working edge and the crankshaft flange, we install the crankshaft seal housing in place, while adjusting the edge of the oil seal with a wooden spatula (shown in the photo);

Reinstalling the cuff body

At this point, the procedure for replacing oil seals on a VAZ 2109 is considered complete. I hope that in this manual everything is described and illustrated quite clearly and no additional video is required. I hasten to say goodbye to this, and all you have to do is collect everything that you took apart in reverse order and continue to exploit your iron horse.

Regardless of whether your VAZ-2109 has a carburetor or is driven by an injector, the work of replacing oil seals follows the same principle. The front oil seal wears out the fastest. It is easier to change, since it does not require dismantling the clutch system.

To carry out the work you will need to have on hand:

• standard sets of keys and screwdrivers;
• clean container;
• rags.

After such preliminary preparation, you can begin work on replacing the front oil seal:

1. Loosen the generator mounting bolts.
2. Remove the belt drive.
3. Drain the engine oil into a prepared container.
4. Remove the protective casing from the power unit.
5. Remove the oil pan.
6. Gently and carefully remove the belt from the camshaft. Make sure that the crankshaft or camshaft does not rotate while removing the belt. Otherwise, the pistons will hit the valves and deform them. This will result in the need to install new valves.
7. Using two screwdrivers, remove the crankshaft pulley.
8. Remove the key.
9. Find the 2 oil pickup bolts, unscrew them and remove this unit.
10. The oil pump is held in place by 6 bolts, remove them before removing this unit.
11. Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the old seal from the crankshaft. It is important that it has a fairly impressive size and is made of durable metal. Otherwise, the blade of the screwdriver may break off while performing this procedure. Remember that work with the shafts must be carried out carefully, avoiding rotation.
12. Clean the oil seal location and lubricate it.
13. Place the cuff, tucking its working part inward.
14. Crimping is carried out using a frame of the required diameter.
15. Wash the oil pump cover with gasoline and return it to its place.
16. Starting with the oil pump, reassemble the mechanism in reverse order.

The final stage is the return of oil to the mechanism. If it is dark enough, then it is best to replace the lubricant with a new one. If you don't have time to do a complete disassembly, you can do without cleaning the oil pump cover. However, it is better to spend time servicing it, so as not to disassemble these units again later.