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36. Remove the front main seal the same way as the cam seals (24.). Replacing the main seal is MUCH more difficult then the cam seals because of the shape of the crankshaft itself. There is a step the seal must get over to start to seat. All of the front seals have a tiny tension spring inside the seal, this spring doesn't stay seated very well while installing the seal. There is an easy way to do it with an additional 'tool' and a harder way to do it without.

Easy way: Get some thin Lexan plastic, cut a 4.5" x 3" rectangle out of it. Oil up the seal inside and out, then roll it up and slip it into the seal. Take this and slip it all over the crank and push it up into the seal's seat. The idea is to use it as a ramp over the step on the crank & into position without rolling over the seal and letting the spring in the seal loose. Use another old seal and slip it over the plastic and use it as a spacer to tap the new seal in place. once everything is seated, pull the old seal off the plastic, then gently pull the plastic out of there. If everything is lubed up, it should slip right out, leaving the seal perfectly seated and the spring on the inside remaining on the inside. Genius idea from Jim Gahl! I've used it several times now. Just make sure the seal is going in with the 'solid' side facing forward like the others.

Harder way: I slip the seal up to the step with the 'solid' side facing outward & then pushed the bottom part into the seat. The seal is then at about a 45 degree angle with the top leaning out. I them put both of my thumbs on the bottom center of the seal and worked my thumbs around the edges keeping tension on the seal to up it upward as the seal started to seat, watching to make sure the spring doesn't come out of the seal. The technique is to maintain tension as the seal is worked in place, so the spring stays in place because the back part of the seal is NOT being allowed to roll over as it makes contact with the step on the crank. Very poor engineering on Nissan's part for maintenance purposes. All Nissan needed to do was taper the step off a bit and life would be OK. Be VERY patient here. After the rear lip of the seal is over the step, use an old seal to help tap the new on in place, starting from the bottom & finally working the way to the top.

Seat the crank seal the same way the cam seals were seated. Run a finger all the way around the seal to make sure it is seated evenly, the bottom of the seal can't be seen without an inspection mirror.

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