Chasing Oil Leak & Dorman "no holes" Balancer

[Rickter Spatz]

Obtained a couple front crank seals to try and fix a small oil leak from the lower front that gets blown/drips down beneath the crank, passenger side, and on back. Doesn't drip on the floor but it still seems to be a leak and I suspect blowing extra oil into my K&N (which does not have an enclosure around it for true 'cold air')

Thanks to member Joe Dirt's radiator removal how-to I easily removed the radiator to buy 2-4+? more inches of working room. On my 4.0L SOHC there aren't any 'clips' to deal with on the rad - it just lifts up and off which is rad.

Managed to get the harmonic balancer off - cordless impact wrench fit in there (sans radiator) and worked great. I have used the 'starter bump' procedure on a different vehicle; just rest your wrench on frame, stand clear, don't hold it, and be careful.

Of course the removal kit I have did not have long enough bolts so I sort of forced a couple slightly longer, non-metric, and course threaded bolts in there. Gently used the impact again here - this worked but I cannot recommend - they probably weren't half way into the balancer but it pulled off easily and so maybe that's why I got away with it?

Wanted to use the AC bolts as I love that solution to 'too-short-remover-bolts' but on my 4.0L SOHC they are trapped behind the AC coil and while I understand that part can come off I don't think it should in this case.

"Son what you got there is a crank seal leak..."

Or do you...?

Now that it's cleaned up maybe the leak is coming from the 'ladder' or upper oil pan gasket shown here? The front crank seal doesn't appear damaged but I've got 2 candidates for replacement:

The National (black one) seems stiffer, fits tighter around the balancer shaft, and has a little larger outside diameter. The orange one, Timken, slides on easier and seems more pliable. Leaning towards trying the National brand here - with some grease in the back and clean oil on mating surfaces?

The existing harmonic balancer seems fine - 128k on the truck - the rubber shows some discoloration but still 'gives' under thumbnail pressure and doesn't show any major cracking or pieces missing. Nice uniform rubber ring.

The Dorman I have on hand has a softer rubber but the rubber is not as uniform as the Ford part and the blasted thing doesn't have any holes for removing it? Come on now. I don't count on getting it right the first time and if I want to pull it back off what... I have to go buy a Dorman puller I suppose? No thanks, I already have one puller that doesn't work right (short bolts)

Both have the plastic shields. Tempted to try to drill holes in the Dorman but I'm guessing the odd holes in the original and one partial in the back of this new one are maybe for weight-balancing purposes? ...and probably shouldn't be messed with. Could always put the new Dorman on and hope for the best/deal with removal when it comes up again.

So thinking I'll spooge some gasket sealer in the ladder pan gap there since I'm not rigged for pulling the motor. Thinking of installing the National crank seal and probably just put the old balancer back on. I thought having the vehicle in gear would hold the crank but may attempt the fly-wheel jamb for tightening the new TTY crank bolt.

While I put the AC compressor back together and think about removing the starter any comments or suggestions are most welcome! - otherwise I'll happily cobble-job it

Thanks