Thank you for the help on figuring out how to install a PTFE front oil seal (it is all here).
Now, I seem to have read somewhere, that it is possible, if needed, after some modifications, to remove/replace the front oil seal without taking off the timing cover or the sump.
Did I missread or dream this?
Note: Car is a XJ6 not a XKE, in case this matters.
Thank you.
The only way you could do that, would be to machine the seal slot, so that a seal could be inserted into the hole, directly from the front.
I vaguely recall Dick Maury referencing this mod: @Dick_Maury, am I hallucinating?
Yep, remove the outer web would be the only way I could see it happening.
You will need to remove the sump to replace the seal. Your timing cover has already been modified. It is visible in the picture. Drop the pan, slide off the spacer and you can drop the seal and slide off the crank. Of course, if the engine is upside down, then you would raise the seal to slide it off. Only way to remove without removing the pan and timing cover would be to machine away both lips but then there would be nothing to hold the seal in place. You would also have a very difficult time removing the spacer/collar without any access.
Ok,
It does not really show on the photo, but the timing cover actually has a 3-4 mm ridge in front of the seal, so I suppose I need to machine that out for the trick to work. Right?
Once the engine is inside the car (XJ6), is there actually enough space to drop the sump sufficiently for this trick?
And finally, obviously this trick requires to be able to slide out the spacer. I suspect that with the engine in situ and only the sump down by an inch or so this must be quite and acrobatic manoeuvre… 
The XJ6 timing cover already has the clearance modification to get the seal in and out. No further modification needed. There is not enough room to drop the sump in the XJ6 without removing the suspension subframe. You might want to re-look at my article and observe the difference between an early timing cover and a later one. http://www.georgiajag.com/Documents/Crank%20Seal/CrankSeal.html
Ok, so, on the XJ6, later type / modified cover or not will not help because of the lack of clearance for the sump. Got it.
Incidentally, I have 2 XJ6 engines (circa 1975) both timing covers look like “earlier type” with a 3-4mm ridge in front of the seal. Will post close up photo later today.
