Questions and Answers

Taurus Taking a Leak

Q. I've got an 1989 Ford Taurus 3.0 V6, high mileage. I have an oil leak on the front of the engine, impossible to tell for sure where its from as the serpentine belt & pulleys fling the oil every where. I'm suspecting the crankshaft main seal. Are these prone to failure on this engine?

Thanks,
Steve

A. That is a common problem on this engine Steve. They aren't really too hard to replace either. If you take off the main crankshaft pulley, the seal is right behind it. Just pop it out, put a thin coat of oil on the new one and gently tap it in. Put the pulley back on and torque the crankshaft bolt to 140 foot pounds and you're done. Probably take you about 60 to 90 minutes to do.