rear main oil seal - Fel Pro 2900
08-01-2008, 03:09 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
rear main oil seal - Fel Pro 2900
As a heads-up:
Recently, an article was written in the NCRS Restorer publication by John Bissell concerning the Fel Pro 2900 rear main oil seal. The article describes a fresh engine rebuild that developed an oil leak during the initial 30 minute/2500 rpm engine break-in period.
I read the article with interest because it almost exactly mirrored my experience with my own recent 327 rebuild. Same oil leak problem. .. Valve cover, intake manifold, and oil pan gaskets appeared to be fine. No leaks there. No leak coming from the threaded oil line connection at the top of the block. The only other culprit was likely the rear main oil seal. ..
When installing the rear main oil seal all procedures were followed, exactly (seal lips facing forward, rear main cap sealed per instruction sheet, seal halves offset from main cap/block parting line). The rear main crank journal surface was perfect - no groove(s) or irregularities. The engine oil system was pre-primed before startup. After first start the oil leak was discovered about 15 minutes into the initial engine run-up/break-in period.
What to do but drop the oil pan, etc., and check/replace the rear main oil seal .. Upon removal the 'old' brand new seal was checked but there was nothing to indicate a problem with it. No nicks or any other irregularities on the seal lips; nothing. The new rear main oil seal that replaced it was the one that's available from GM. Fel Pro also has the similar #2912 rear main oil seal. I later learned that these may be one and the same. The GM and the #2912 seal has a light copper color to it. .. The new GM rear main oil seal was installed with as much care as the first one.
The Fel Pro #2900 rear main oil seal is blue in color and appears to be made of silicone. It came in the gasket set that was used for the engine rebuild. The #2900 is available singly, also.
Anyway, I wanted to offer this up in case any of you guys might be rebuilding an engine anytime soon. Though the Fel Pro #2900 and #2912 rear main oil seals appear much alike the #2912 is apparently a much better seal. I noticed when the GM upper seal half was installed in the block the seal lip appeared to lay down flatter and cover more crank journal surface area. The seal lip on the #2900 appeared to have a sharper seal lip front edge and didn't lay down as flat or cover as much crank journal surface area as the #2912.
With everything buttoned up..........time to fire up and check. .. No leak! .. The new seal did the trick.
Through the years and other rear main oil seal installations, this was a first time failure.
Might any of you guys also had a first time brand new rear main oil seal failure? .. Did you discover the cause?
Recently, an article was written in the NCRS Restorer publication by John Bissell concerning the Fel Pro 2900 rear main oil seal. The article describes a fresh engine rebuild that developed an oil leak during the initial 30 minute/2500 rpm engine break-in period.
I read the article with interest because it almost exactly mirrored my experience with my own recent 327 rebuild. Same oil leak problem. .. Valve cover, intake manifold, and oil pan gaskets appeared to be fine. No leaks there. No leak coming from the threaded oil line connection at the top of the block. The only other culprit was likely the rear main oil seal. ..
When installing the rear main oil seal all procedures were followed, exactly (seal lips facing forward, rear main cap sealed per instruction sheet, seal halves offset from main cap/block parting line). The rear main crank journal surface was perfect - no groove(s) or irregularities. The engine oil system was pre-primed before startup. After first start the oil leak was discovered about 15 minutes into the initial engine run-up/break-in period.
What to do but drop the oil pan, etc., and check/replace the rear main oil seal .. Upon removal the 'old' brand new seal was checked but there was nothing to indicate a problem with it. No nicks or any other irregularities on the seal lips; nothing. The new rear main oil seal that replaced it was the one that's available from GM. Fel Pro also has the similar #2912 rear main oil seal. I later learned that these may be one and the same. The GM and the #2912 seal has a light copper color to it. .. The new GM rear main oil seal was installed with as much care as the first one.
The Fel Pro #2900 rear main oil seal is blue in color and appears to be made of silicone. It came in the gasket set that was used for the engine rebuild. The #2900 is available singly, also.
Anyway, I wanted to offer this up in case any of you guys might be rebuilding an engine anytime soon. Though the Fel Pro #2900 and #2912 rear main oil seals appear much alike the #2912 is apparently a much better seal. I noticed when the GM upper seal half was installed in the block the seal lip appeared to lay down flatter and cover more crank journal surface area. The seal lip on the #2900 appeared to have a sharper seal lip front edge and didn't lay down as flat or cover as much crank journal surface area as the #2912.
With everything buttoned up..........time to fire up and check. .. No leak! .. The new seal did the trick.
Through the years and other rear main oil seal installations, this was a first time failure.
Might any of you guys also had a first time brand new rear main oil seal failure? .. Did you discover the cause?
