Neon was leaking oil badly. Tore it apart and found the front crankshaft seal was pushed out. I would normally think that the crank is walking, but it appears that there is a bushing behind the seal that doesn't look like it can move. I'm not sure how the crank assembly looks as I have never taken it apart. Thoughts?
That is the oil pump, if you're looking at what I think you are.
Check extra careful for crank walk. 100% of those engines I have seen push the seal out had at least 1/8" of endplay. Granted, 100% were also 2.4s, not 2.0s, but it's also so common that Chrysler dealers had a kit of parts to replace the crank in an engine.
How do you check for endplay?
Find a way to pry the crank back and forth, usually on an assembled engine you pop it thisaway against the flywheel, and thataway against the harmonic damper. On a good engine the play is "barely percptible with your fingertips on the other end of the engine".
Doubt the crank is walking. I'd be willing to put money you can put a crank seal in and it would be Golden.
The 2.4 engines push the seals out when the crank walks, but it's because the oil pressure builds up between the pump and the balance shaft sprocket. I think. Or something similar. Anyway, the 2.0 doesn't have a balance shaft, so stuff a new seal in it and make sure the pcv system isn't plugged.
Okay good info. I was unable to detect any sort of crank play so I put in a new seal and reassembled. I will check the pcv system.
Streetwiseguy said:The 2.4 engines push the seals out when the crank walks, but it's because the oil pressure builds up between the pump and the balance shaft sprocket. I think. Or something similar. Anyway, the 2.0 doesn't have a balance shaft, so stuff a new seal in it and make sure the pcv system isn't plugged
It's not necessarily pressure from the oil system, oil just fills the cavity behind the seal when the crank is back, and when it moves forward under clutch or torque converter pressure, it pushes the seal out like popping a pilot bushing out with grease and a drift.
Or as you say, PCV, which probably could shove a 17 year old seal out. I'd think it would blow the dipstick out first. (Ah, memories of my S40. I got over a year out of it with a ziptie holding the dipstick in, until it finally pushed a cam seal out. Then I bothered to rebuild the PCV system...)
In my experience with neon engines I have never seen anywhere close to 1/8" of play...but to be fair, I never drove any that had more than 170k on them when I still owned neons either(I would swap to a 2.4L long before that point, and rebuild the 2.4 in the process)
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