Engine: Main Crankshaft oil seal replacement

[Ronamo]

My 289 V8, 1963 Hawk R2 has leaking front and rear main seals, it appears. It looks like there might be room to pull the pan and re-seal it without removing the engine. Has anyone done this? Any tips?
Thanks,
Ronamo

[jackb]

You need to replace the entire pan gasket set & the rear main Brummer halves. This can be done with the engine in the car, with you on your back (or under a lift)...... but if you haven't done it a few times ....forget it. Likely it will leak soon thereafter...

[rkapteyn]

The Brummer halves are the two halves of the Brummer rear bearing seal.
Don't be discouraged but doing it laying under the car is hell.
Anybody in the San Antonio Are has a lift?

[skyway]

Also, depending on just where your "front" leak is, you may be looking at removing the timing gear cover.

There actually is no front main seal as such; rather the stock setup is a thick felt washer set into the backside of the timing cover, through which the front of the crankshaft passes.
There is also an aluminum "filler block" behind the bottom of the timing cover. Often the bolts at the bottom of the timing cover have wollowed out the threads in the filler block.
Some folks have replaced the felt washer with a more positive seal. Others (like me) drill a hole in the bottom of the interior ring which holds the felt (the hope is to let accumulated oil drain back into the crankcase instead of leaking out the front).
So far as wallowed out filler block threads go, you can use heli-coils, or you can get the filler block out on the bench and drill all the way thru the filler block. Then epoxy bolts in from the backside, long enough so that they pass thru filler block and timing cover and act as studs.

So far as doing it in the car goes, you'll need to loosen the front motor mounts so's to slightly raise the engine, and remove the bell crank (or maybe pop lose a tie rod?) so's to get enough clearance to remove the oil pan. Also need to pull the radiator if you are gonna remove the timing cover.

Not for the faint of heart, but do-able.

[altair]

Before challenging the seals make sure the breather is clear, excessive crankcase pressure will promote oil to leak.