Newbie with 4d55 timing belt / oil seal question

[whawker]

Hi all, I'm a noob with a new project, an 85 Ford Ranger with the Mitsu 4d55 turbodiesel engine. It has 207k on the clock, don't know when the timing belts were last done, and it's leaking oil like a sieve in the front.

Sooo, I've torn down the front end to where I'm cleaning it all up, gonna replace all the oil seals, then new timing belts and tensioners. I've gotten the new cam seal in fine. I'm now looking at the two balance shaft seals - and a little stuck for some advice. Both the Mitsu 4d55 and Ford Ranger service manuals talk about using a screwdriver or socket extension, going in through a port on either side of the engine block, and using the tool to keep the balance shaft from moving while you're working on it. But dang, it looks like I'd have to remove the injection pump to get to the driver side port, and lordy knows what to get to the passenger side port.

My question, can I not delicately use some leather or thick cloth on the teeth of the balance shaft sprocket, grab it carefully with a wrench to hold it, untorque the bolt and pull the sprocket, then gently pull out the oil seal with a pick while holding on to the shaft? I've got the special spacer tool for sliding the new seal in. In any case, is the shaft keyed for the sprocket, and if so, why does jamming the balance shaft from the side ports matter, can't I just do the seal fix, put the sprocket back on the only way it goes, and re-align it with the timing mark?

Sure would appreciate some experienced advice!

Thanks

Bill

 

[off-roader]

Can you use the old belt to hold them in place?

 

[whawker]

Yeah, I can, that would bypass the carefully grab the padded sprocket step to hold it while taking off the nut. I've already taken the belt tensioner off along with the belt, but could reassemble if necessary.

The real problem is after the sprocket is off, the procedure in the 4d55 manual is apparently for holding the sprocket-less balance shaft from moving/rotating after that. I'm wondering why I can't just be careful, try not to move it too much, but if there's a key, the sprocket (with the timing mark) ought to go back on just one way and realign timing easily enough?