Rear main seal.....

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jan 25, 2002 | 04:19 PM

Scooter70

Thread Starter

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 5,145

Likes: 125

From: The Motor City

Rear main seal.....

Just drop the driveshaft and tranny, remove clutch and flywheel......pull out old seal, put new one in.... anything I'm forgetting? Maybe drain oil from motor first? Do I have to disconnect the shifter and linkages to get the tranny out? (Hurst shifter on M20 trans)
TIA!

Jan 25, 2002 | 04:49 PM

jerryp58

Melting Slicks

Joined: Aug 2000

Posts: 2,310

Likes: 1

Re: Rear main seal..... (Scooter70)

:eek:

I was just hoping to disconnect the idler arm and drop the pan :confused:

Jan 25, 2002 | 06:11 PM

Frankenvette

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 1999

Posts: 3,030

Likes: 17

From: White Pine / Dandridge TN

Re: Rear main seal..... (Scooter70)

I just removed my rear main cap about 2 minutes ago. Just drop the idler arm and pull down on steering linkage. Also will need to remove starter. No need to drop tranny or remove clutch. I did not even remove flywheel cover. Getting oil pan off is hardest part;however, this time my pan came out easy. I checked my oil pump pickup screen and found about 1/2 cup of old gasket crap. Can't believe I even had oil pressure :eek: Good luck.

Regards,

Jim

Jan 25, 2002 | 06:36 PM

Scooter70

Thread Starter

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 5,145

Likes: 125

From: The Motor City

Re: Rear main seal..... (Jim73)

Huh? Really? Are we talking about the same thing? The main seal around the crank at the back of the block? You can get to it from the pan?

The car just got a new 7 qt oil pan 3 months ago. Guess we should have done it then. I hate doing things over again!

Thanks,
Matt

[Modified by Scooter70, 10:39 PM 1/25/2002]

Jan 25, 2002 | 06:40 PM

scottw

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 1,241

Likes: 4

From: Okinawa Okinawa

Re: Rear main seal..... (Jim73)

Same thing, all you need to do is the idler arm and take the pan off.
I've drained the radiator in mine a couple time so far. I guess I need to do a little better planning next time or get everything I need first. :yesnod:

Jan 25, 2002 | 06:56 PM

Binnie77

Drifting

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 1,841

Likes: 3

From: Halifax, NS, Canada

Re: Rear main seal..... (Scooter70)

I just completed this task myself and it is no big deal. Remove the idler arm bolts and pull the steering linkage down as far as you need it to go. Drop the oil pan. Remove the oil pump bolt and drop the oil pump. Remove the rear main. Take an awl with a blunt tip or similiar tool and push the upper half of the lip seal around far enough to grab the other end of it. After cleaning things up and all gasket surfaces, lubricate one half of the new lip seal and push it up around the block. Make sure you the lip is pointing toward the front of the engine. Place the other half in the rear bearing cap and put a dab of sealant on each end of the seal and replace main cap and torque to spec. Replace the oil pump making sure that the slot in the pump shaft is aligned with the distibutor shaft and torque bolt to spec. If you buy the Felpro one piece oil pan gasket which is reusable then installing it is a cinch. Just follow the instructions with the Felpro gasket which even comes with new bolts and aligning studs for a simple install. Bolt the idler arm back in place. There .... your leaks are gone ... Oh yes...put some oil in the pan before you start the engine :D

Jan 25, 2002 | 11:25 PM

Barry's70LT1

Melting Slicks

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 2,064

Likes: 1,382

From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Rear main seal..... (Scooter70)

Quote:

Just drop the driveshaft and tranny, remove clutch and flywheel......pull out old seal, put new one in....

Quote:

I just removed my rear main cap about 2 minutes ago. Just drop the idler arm and pull down on steering linkage. Also will need to remove starter. No need to drop tranny or remove clutch.

You'r both right !!!!!

Older 350 engines had the two piece seal requiring the removal of the rear
main cap to replace.

Newer 350 (not sure when the change was) has a one piece seal, accessed from the rear of the engine ..

Barry

Jan 26, 2002 | 09:53 AM

Scooter70

Thread Starter

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 5,145

Likes: 125

From: The Motor City

Re: Rear main seal..... (Barry's70LT1) (Binney77)

Thanks to all of you guys. Gonna save me a ton of time under the car. I had forgotten that this was a two piece RMS. My LT1 Z28 is a one piece and that's what I was thinking about.
:cheers:
Matt