300tdi Crankshaft main shells/bolts question

micknkatenki said:

Hi,
Couple of questions....
Am in the process of replacing the rear crank oil seal, can the 2 main bearing bolts be reused or do they need replacing ??
Also what are your thoughts on the main bearing shell ?
Thanks in advance.

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jamesmartin said:

you can reuse them as may times as you like as long as no damage to thread, use loctite ie stud lock brake cleaner will ensure threads are clean,the bottom bearing shell gets the worse wear,likewise the top conrod shell,yours are like new i would say quite low mileage or an extremely well serviced engine,rtv silicone sealant used in the t piece slots seals well with more forced in once fitted

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micknkatenki said:

Hi James, thank you, was expecting the worse....... engine is serviced/looked after well but don't know how old there are, 132,000 on the clock.

I have new rubber t seals, are you saying leave them out and just use rtv sealant.

Thank you

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jamesmartin said:

if there nice sotf seals use those often they are brittle and separate as you fit them in any case a little silicone helps as a lube or the seals itself

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