Help installing bearing plate seal- 318

[monster318]

I have the bearing plate off my 318 to replace both the crank seal and gasket on plate. I pressed the new seal in fine, However I am having trouble getting the new seal to fit over the crank...it fits so snugly that it turns the rubber part of the seal inside out..I have ruined two seals already with this...The service manual says to use this special seal expander they have listed...but I cannot find it anywhere online or at the dealer....Is there some special trick to get this seal on without damaging it?

[RaisedByWolves]

Heres what I did.

I used a piece of pvc that had about the same diameter as the crank and inserted it in the seal from the front an then inserted the crank pushing the PVC pipe out.

Just check your home store for the proper diameter.

[monster318]

I GOT IT!!!! Went to the dealer after work to buy my 3rd seal and got a different counter person that I hadnt dealt with before and asked him about getting the seal on without damaging it. He told me to hold on and he came back with this laminate piece of paper he called it a "Microfitche"?? (spelling???) and told me this: Grease the crank, slide this paper over it, grease the paper around the shaft, slide your bearing plate over this and the paper prevents the seal from grabbing the lip on the crank...

Well sure enough it worked great!!! although I am not sure if this is the intented use for this laminated paper??

here is a picture of this paper thing...

[RaisedByWolves]

Yup, thats a good trick.


Microfiche is the old school parts lookup system. Its a thin film that went into a projector/viewmaster like thing that you looked your parts up on.

Any port in a storm.

[treemaster61]

Pray tell...how did you get the bearing plate off? Mine is stuck like it's welded onto the crankshaft.

[RaisedByWolves]

After removing the bolts you may need to lightly rap it with a hammer a few times to break the bond of the gasket.


A chisel or a screwdriver may help also.

[treemaster61]

Thanks. I got it loose from the block, but it's stuck to the crank. That is, if I rotate the crankshaft, the bearing plate rotates with it. But it won't come off. In fact, it's so stuck to the crank that if I replace the bearing plate bolts, the crank won't turn...can't turn the flywheel, and needless to say, tractor won't start (starter just grinds against the flywheel ring gear, which won't turn). As soon as I unbolt the bearing plate, she spins like a top.

I saw another post where they mentioned using a puller with special puller legs (JDG327) to get the bearing plate off...ugh. More special tools...would like to avoid that.

[monster318]

Thanks. I got it loose from the block, but it's stuck to the crank. That is, if I rotate the crankshaft, the bearing plate rotates with it. But it won't come off. In fact, it's so stuck to the crank that if I replace the bearing plate bolts, the crank won't turn...can't turn the flywheel, and needless to say, tractor won't start (starter just grinds against the flywheel ring gear, which won't turn). As soon as I unbolt the bearing plate, she spins like a top.

I saw another post where they mentioned using a puller with special puller legs (JDG327) to get the bearing plate off...ugh. More special tools...would like to avoid that.

Wow, That is surpising considering that the actual surface that contacts the crankshaft is mainly rubber. Did you try spraying anything like penetrating oil onto the seal? Maybe take a infrared heat gun and heat the seal a bit then try and see if it will break lose. I must say I have never heard of the seal sticking to the crank

[RaisedByWolves]

Wow, That is surpising considering that the actual surface that contacts the crankshaft is mainly rubber. Did you try spraying anything like penetrating oil onto the seal? Maybe take a infrared heat gun and heat the seal a bit then try and see if it will break lose. I must say I have never heard of the seal sticking to the crank

Im thinking he may have a bad bearing.

There is no way the seal alone would cause this.

[treemaster61]

Im thinking he may have a bad bearing.

There is no way the seal alone would cause this.

That's what I'm thinking also. Question: When the crankshaft turns, should the inner part of the bearing plate turn with it? Or does the crankshaft turn within the seal? In my case, no part of the bearing plate turns. I can turn the flywheel, one inch at a time, by using a screwdriver as a lever against the flywheel ring gear teeth. But when I do, no part of the bearing plate turns, just the crankshaft itself.

To answer your question monster, yes, I sprayed penetrating oil onto/into the seal, trying to get it in as far as I could.

A bit more background...the whole problem started when the tractor was idling, and I had gotten off it to move some branches. All of a sudden it just stalled. When I tried to start it, the starter made a horrible grinding noise. After much investigation, I've come to the point I am now: starter is fine, solenoid is fine, got 12V to the starter, etc., but the **** flywheel won't turn because the crankshaft is held tight by the bearing plate.

Any advice appreciated!