Is it possible to change it without removing the front cover? I know it's a piece of cake to install it with the cover on. I think a pointed punch could be used to deform it enough to pull it out. What do you guys think?

I think my opti failed because of an oil leak. I can't really tell where it's coming from, even with the pump and opti off. However, I did find a small piece of something between the water pump drive and the water pump seal. If that was stuck in there while the engine was running, that's the source of my leak. Now I'm concerned that seal is compromised because of that.

 

Did you open up the opti to verify if it had oil inside it? Mine did and it was leaking from the driveshaft seal.

You will NEED to remove the timing cover, I just replaced the seal last night and trust me they are quite stubborn to remove.

 

which driveshaft seal did you replace?

 

a corvette owner sent me this:

http://www.impalasuperstore.com/nais...TOPIC_ID=30984

exactly what i was looking for. I wonder tho, is the f-body wp designed the same as the impala wp? Is that niche he puts the screwdriver into also on the f-body wp?

 

I always install the wp seal after the cover is on. First time round I did it with the cover off and I buggered it up puting the cover back on.

 

Yes, it is designed the same.

 

Trust me if it fail due to oil you would know. My seal at the option was bad and my MSD opti sucked the oil in and it just shut down. No spark at all coming out of the spark plug wires. Upon removing the opti and opening it up the whole inside of the opti was coated in oil. Which in turn cause the arch from the rotor to arch down itself straight to the shutter wheel. The distributor was fine but the cap and rotor were trash.

 

I'm still trying to find a torx e4 and t8 to take apart my opti...

 

You can get an inverted torx "E4" from Autozone. Look in the tool section near the specialty tools. It will have a yellow label.

 

great, i'll swing by one after work.

 

you dont have to remove the cover to install that seal, i stuck my seal puller with the 90* end between the seal and the shaft sticking out and then just banged it out....... it popped right out. Then you just get a deep socket that fits the seal and tap the new one in with a rubber mallet. Piece of cake. You need that seal puller tool though.

 

yep, i plan on getting one of those today also. many of my tools haven't been found yet or got lost during my move across town.

 

For the WP timing cover seal? No, you don't. I just used a small screwdriver exactly like in the link above.

 

bought a cheap harbor freight seal puller and of course it broke. It got the opti seal out before it completely gave way tho. I got the manifold/block seal cleaned and applied more silicone to it. Also got the new wp seal and opti seal in. The brown part of the wp seal is folded under in one spot but the black part is still facing toward the block. The old wp seal had a chunk missing out of it. I'm hoping that was the source of the leak. I'll continue buttoning up sunday morning.