BMW S55 N55 Crankshaft Oil Seal Remover & Installer Tool Kit

BMW crankshaft oil seal remover and installer tool kit for front and rear seal work on a range of BMW petrol engines, including N20, N52, N54, N55 and S55. The puller helps remove the old seal while the fitting sleeves, spindles and press pieces help guide the new seal into place squarely.

What is the tool kit used for?

• Front crankshaft seal replacement: Remove a leaking or damaged seal behind the crankshaft pulley and fit its replacement at the correct depth.
• Rear main seal replacement: Remove and fit the seal on the gearbox side of the engine once the gearbox and flywheel or flexplate have been removed.
• After an auxiliary belt failure: Inspect the front seal if the drive belt has wrapped around the crank pulley. The front seal may have been damaged or belt pieces may have passed through it.
• During gearbox, clutch, flywheel or torque converter work: With the rear of the crankshaft exposed, a confirmed leaking rear seal can be replaced before refitting the transmission.
• During an engine rebuild or timing cover repair: Install the correct front or rear seal after the surrounding engine work is complete.
• During crank hub or pulley work: Inspect the front seal while the crank area is accessible. Use the appropriate fitting pieces if the seal needs replacing.

BMW engine applications

Designed for use with the appropriate front or rear seal tools on N20, N40, N42, N45, N45T, N46, N46T, N52, N53, N54, N55 and S55 petrol engines. Examples include BMW 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Series models plus selected X and Z models. The S55 is found in the F80 M3, F82/F83 M4 and M2 Competition/CS. Check the engine code and seal design against your car before ordering.

Tools and BMW comparison numbers

The upgraded reference kit advertises equivalents to the BMW tool numbers below. These are special tool references rather than OE numbers for the seals. BMW 11 9 220, 11 9 230 and 11 0 370 can refer to tool assemblies; they are not necessarily three separate pieces in the case.

• 11 9 181: Rear seal pressing bush.
• 11 9 182: Rear seal crankshaft mounting or alignment piece.
• 11 9 183: Rear seal draw nut.
• 11 9 184: Fixing screws for the rear mounting piece.
• 11 9 185: Ring used with the rear seal pressing bush on applicable seal versions.
• 11 9 220: Front seal puller tool assembly.
• 11 9 230: Front seal installer tool assembly.
• 11 0 370: Front seal extraction tool assembly.

The case also contains the puller and fitting hardware used with these tools, including screws, spindles, pressing pieces and a draw nut. The special tool references are for comparison only. This is an aftermarket kit and no BMW branded tools or oil seals are included unless separately stated.

For S55 front seals: use the correct S55 fitting adapter and installation procedure. The BMW reference for the S55 front adapter is 2 303 795. This is an adapter reference, not an oil seal part number.

Why do BMW owners change the crankshaft seals?

Oil around the front crank pulley

A front seal can leak as it ages or after damage during pulley, cover or belt work. Find the source before replacing it: oil from the filter housing or another higher gasket can run down the front of the engine and look like a crank seal leak.

Drive belt damage can turn into a seal problem

On N52 and N54 engines a leaking oil filter housing can contaminate the auxiliary belt. A damaged belt may then ride off the pulleys and wind around the crank. In some cases belt strands pass through the front crankshaft seal into the engine. If that has happened, fitting a new seal alone does not remove the belt debris. Check the belt drive, the seal and the engine for remaining fragments before putting it back into service.

Oil at the engine and gearbox joint

A rear main seal leak can show up near the bellhousing. That area can also collect oil from the sump gasket or a leak higher up the engine. Clean and trace the leak first. If the rear seal is confirmed faulty and the gearbox is already out for a clutch, flywheel or transmission job, this kit helps remove and fit the replacement seal.

A seal that leaks again after fitting

The seal must go in straight and to the depth specified for that engine. Some replacement seals use a protective fitting sleeve or a dry sealing lip. Follow the instructions supplied with the specific seal and the BMW repair procedure for the engine. Also check the crankshaft sealing surface and crankcase ventilation if a new seal starts leaking again.

Please note: This set is for crankshaft oil seal removal and installation. It does not replace a crankshaft holding tool, timing tool kit, gearbox removal equipment or the seals themselves.