So I'm driving down western today when i hear my belts squealing. I figure at first it's just from a puddle i hit or something, but when i pull over into a gas station, my temp gauge is hot and i have no oil on the dipstick. I look on the passenger side (2.5L v6 dodge avenger) and see oil splattered on my control arms, wheel, pulleys, etc. I imagine that it's my crank seal that is gone, but it could also be the cam seals.


My question is, how hard would this be to replace on my own, with only ramps/jackstands and the necessary tools? It's a tight fit to take apart the front end of the engine, but shop mechanics do it without taking apart too much crap, so how hard would it be to do for me. I consider myself an intermediate when it comes to car repair, but i've never replaced anything on the pulley side of the engine.

Also worth mentioning, the car has 140k miles, and the timing belt/water pump were replaced around 80k


thanks

10/28/2007 2:23:41 AM

looks like you kinda know what your talking about. with a basic tool set you can repair it and a crank pulley removal set. hell the seal doesnt cost over $10. its weird it wouldjust go like that though. and well it maybe leaking did you check the axle shaft. where your saying the oil is, looks like it could be an axle. but to answer your question. yes this part can be replaced. with a back yard job. good luck

[Edited on October 28, 2007 at 9:48 AM. Reason : /]

10/28/2007 9:47:59 AM

the belt squealing is weird. In my experience, only dying pulleys or water will make otherwise good belts start squealing. Oil/lubrication would actually quieten them down

10/28/2007 10:17:46 AM

check out the belt and see if it is really shinny. if so that means the wax coating is gone off the belt,

10/28/2007 10:40:01 AM

See if you can pin pointe where the squeaking is coming from, also the oil. Not knowing what's in your car it could also be an oil pump seal leaking oil and the squeaking could be that a pulley, water pump etc. Since you'll be on the pulley side of the car, now you're messing with timing. Wether it's a chain or belt, you'll need to know how to do this (get a book).

Anyway, if you replace a pulley side shaft seal go ahead and do the timing belt/idler pulley, water pump, and other seals. Parts would run $100-$200 total for DIY (mostly in the belt and pump(s)). You would want to do this because it's not a quick job and you have to take the timing off to get there anyway.

10/28/2007 12:42:19 PM

Ok, thanks guys. I checked it out again this morning, and the car definitely overheats after idling for around 15 minutes. I'm beginning to think it could be the water pump, and from the squealing standpoint, it sounds more like a pulley bearing instead of a belt. I think im gonna change my thermostat just because it's something easy, and could be the problem. I dont know why any other thing would be squealing like that, but it definitely is a higher-pitched squeal like a bearing would make.


Aside from the oil problem, does anyone else have any suggestions as to why the car would be overheating like this?

Also, this morning i placed a rag underneath the front end of the engine to see what leaked down, and nothing was spilled on the rag in this <20 minute span of running the car.

10/28/2007 1:39:53 PM

You did check the obvious, correct, or else your man card will be revoked.
Low on water
Radiator fan
broken water pump impeller

10/28/2007 4:17:52 PM

Quote :

"check out the belt and see if it is really shinny. if so that means the wax coating is gone off the belt,"

honestly. belts are rubber, there is no wax. a belt can glaze, but it's not because of a wax coating.

10/28/2007 4:26:35 PM

could it
be possible that
slowblack has
said somehting
stupid and or
wrong, again?

10/28/2007 4:46:33 PM

sounds like oyu have a few different unrelated problems, more than likely the water pump is shot, leaked out the coolant and is causing the squealing from a bad bearing, the oil leak has probably been there and is either from the oil pan gasket or the crank and cam seals, i would go with

Quote :

"Anyway, if you replace a pulley side shaft seal go ahead and do the timing belt/idler pulley, water pump, and other seals. Parts would run $100-$200 total for DIY (mostly in the belt and pump(s)). You would want to do this because it's not a quick job and you have to take the timing off to get there anyway."

10/28/2007 4:55:40 PM

your all idiots if you think belts are all just rubber

10/28/2007 5:32:05 PM

dont even bother with the thermostat. save your $12 and replace the pump

btw, when you take the pump off and think "hey the impellers look just like the new one and it spins pretty easily," replace the thing anyways it's shot

[Edited on October 28, 2007 at 6:03 PM. Reason : ]

10/28/2007 6:03:03 PM

Quote :

"your all idiots if you think belts are all just rubber"

Quote :

"So I'm driving down western today when i hear my belts squealing. I figure at first it's just from a puddle i hit or something, but when i pull over into a gas station, my temp gauge is hot and i have no oil on the dipstick. I look on the passenger side (2.5L v6 dodge avenger) and see oil splattered on my control arms, wheel, pulleys, etc. I imagine that it's my crank seal that is gone, but it could also be the cam seals."

Quote :

"check out the belt and see if it is really shinny. if so that means the wax coating is gone off the belt,"

sounds like you are the idiot, stick to changing oil at jiffy lube n00b

10/28/2007 6:56:39 PM

wax coating on a belt? what kind of shit is that?

10/28/2007 7:13:09 PM

so water pump replacement looks like it. I don't know any mechanics in the area. Could anyone suggest one to me that wont charge me out the ass and who also wont mess it up further?

10/28/2007 7:36:13 PM

Talk to Tommy at Mission Valley 66, 832-5383

10/29/2007 6:48:49 AM

The only reason a belt would have any wax in or on it would be a tiny bit to prevent ozone deterioration. A lot of rubbers actually have a very small amount of wax in them which migrates to the surface over time.

It has nothing to do with belt grip or function.

The only thing else that a belt would have is its cording, which is usually nylon, polyester, or maybe something like aramid (not common).

10/29/2007 7:23:11 AM

^ or a para-aramid jacket on fractional horsepower v-belts

10/29/2007 7:33:39 AM

^^^^

If you were going to tackle a crank seal, this sould be an easy job for you to DIY.

Quote :

"I consider myself an intermediate when it comes to car repair, but i've never replaced anything on the pulley side of the engine. "

10/29/2007 8:05:22 AM

^it's not that i dont want to do it, i just dont have the time this week and need it fixed. However, i called around a few places to get estimates and it looks like $400-500, so I suppose I'll either make time or wait until i have time. Thanks again for all the help

10/29/2007 11:30:51 AM

What year is it? I can send you the exact alldata instructions on that one to help you out, it has everything you need to know.

10/29/2007 1:49:25 PM

1996 dodge avenger es
2.5L V6


Appreciate it

10/29/2007 1:59:49 PM

Just remember to be careful with your timing and don't get it off. I don't know if your engine is an interference or not or has a timing belt but a v-6 timing belt can get you tripped up. Go by the book and don't skip steps. The biggest one, set the crank at TDC. Often times the timing belt will have lines painted on them to show you where to line up the timing marks along with directional marks. You may also need a tool to remove the pulley unless you have an impact wrench or the car is manual transmission.

10/29/2007 10:00:58 PM

update:


So I just successfully spent an entire afternoon trying to get the nut off of the harmonic balancer and the son of gun wont come off. I've tried placing a breaker bar on the nut, setting the bar against the frame, and tapping the starter, but no luck. I'm trying now to use an electric impact wrench, and if it doesnt work, my next stop is an air gun. I wouldn't have thought that this part of the operation would have been the hardest

11/3/2007 7:21:19 PM

wait till you get that nut off and try to pull the crank pulley out It can be just as fun


[Edited on November 3, 2007 at 7:31 PM. Reason : try some PB Blaster on it and let it soak a few mins]

11/3/2007 7:29:29 PM

that's why you take things like this to people with the right toys.

or buy the proper equipment.

11/3/2007 7:39:25 PM

you're gonna need at least a 600-800 ft-lb gun to back that nut off, and a beefy balancer puller to get it off the crank

11/4/2007 5:52:14 PM

Or use a big ass pipe.

[Edited on November 4, 2007 at 7:48 PM. Reason : The wheel puller is still a necessity.]

11/4/2007 7:47:39 PM

^ doesnt work on an auto

11/4/2007 8:31:25 PM

You could always try a strap wrench. I made a honda balancer removal tool for $13 from lowes when the shop told me they couldn't get one for a couple of days. If you have and other screw holding another pulley on there you can get it off by making a tool out of a piece of flatbar.

11/5/2007 9:56:33 PM

still a bitch without a gun

11/5/2007 10:34:32 PM

I got the fucking tool. But I don't know who has it.

11/5/2007 11:19:27 PM

not me

11/6/2007 12:44:18 AM

i got a friend that's gonna let me borrow his compressor/gun sometime this week. I think once i get that pulley off, the rest will be pretty easy (compared to this part anyways)

11/6/2007 1:13:50 AM