I am just starting to disassemble a “donor” M10 engine that I plan to rebuild for my 318i. The front of the engine had a significant accumulation of oil and dirt indicating that the front seal was leaking. I just removed the front damper/pulley and there is a very fine groove which I can catch with my fingernail. Is this still usable or am I looking at $200 for a new damper. I know with rear seals you can slightly alter the seal position if the crankshaft is worn. 
-
-
Depends, if the bonded section has separated and allows the damper to rotate under load then you'd want to replace it. If it's just a crack you only need to replace it eventually.
If you really want, you can try and inject some sort of epoxy that's flexible and has good expansion characteristics, but it probably won't fix the issue. -
You can try using a piece of fine emery cloth or maybe 800 grit sand paper to knock-down any raised material around the groove. Also, installing the seal 1mm in/outset from the old one is not a bad idea so that it makes contact with a fresh part of the pulley.Comment
-
It isn’t a crack. Concerned that it might ruin the new seal and lead to leaking. I though I might ask the machine shop to polish it but don’t know if that could lead to leaks.Comment
-
Now that I see it on other than mobile I see the issue, a polishing should do wonders, and the seal should be able to take up a small amount of material loss.Comment
Comment