...The clamps are loosened on the water pump hoses then a 9/16 socket frees the pump from the block. A swivel socket comes in handy for the back left bolt.... | 
...It is important to scrape the block of gasket residue before reinstalling for a better seal. | 
Three 7/16 bolts attach the factory balancer to the crank, but it will require a heck of a lot more than just removing these bolts to pull it off. |
Before breaking out the pulley removal tool, Junior says it is best to point the arrow in the center of the balancer straight down. | 
Using the pulley removal tool, a 4.5-inch rod or chopped bolt, the force of two men, and a pry bar-the crusty old balancer was eventually separated from the crank. | 
The March Performance (PN 4485) billet aluminum underdrive crank pulley should provide significant reduction of parasitic loss, while using the smaller alternator pulley to ensure proper electrical charging. It's hard to believe this high quality set is only $107. |
As you can see, the LT1 was suffering a leaky main seal that would need to be fixed before putting the crank pulley on. If the seal was leaking from behind the Opti, which it probably was, this could be the culprit behind our possibly ailing distributor. | 
There was no point in putting the crank pulley back on without replacing these seals, as well as possibly the Opti, so Junior got started on removing the cap to the Opti. The plug wires were numbered and unhooked from the cap, then a female Torx socket was used to remove the cap.It is important to mark the spot in which the rotor is facing before removing the Opti base to ensure proper ignition timing upon replacement. | 
Once treated to a generous helping of Permatex Right Stuff RTV sealant, the crank seal and distributor shaft seal were replaced by a fresh set from Fel-Pro. This should help keep motor oil in the engine where it belongs,... |