Camshaft Seal Replacement

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It's been slow progress this week. I achieved nothing yesterday, apart from playing Quake 4 (but then it is important to keep the Strogg down). I've been much more useful today though, it was almost warm and my cold has cleared up, plus I avoided a second helping of dessert that would have had me dozing on the sofa. I've got the cylinder head back on, bolted down, cam wheels back on and even had a go at putting the timing belt back on (but the cams are all wrong).

I've been struggling to find a way to replace the cam seals. Cutting them risked marking the metal, and taking off the caps sounded like a whole tin of worms, but I've found an easier way. I drilled a 2mm hole through the face of the seal (there is a steel ring behind the rubber), then screwed in a small screw a few turns. I then used pliers on the screw to waggle out the seal. You must be accurate with the drill and avoid touching either the cam or the housing, but it's a quick and easy job using this procedure.

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