Replacing rear main seal, confusing directions
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Instructor
Joined: Feb 2016
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Replacing rear main seal, confusing directions
I am replacing the rear main seal. I am looking at my 1985 service manual. It says to not put sealant on the seal split line, then in the picture it says to put sealant on what looks like the seal split line for the upper and lower halves.
Can someone tell me what it is referring to? Thanks
Can someone tell me what it is referring to? Thanks
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 130
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Another thing I don't understand is that once the cap goes back on and torqued, any sealant on either area is going to squish out to both areas. It's one flat surface.
I haven't disassembled yet, I like to understand the instructions first, as I don't know what I am doing. Maybe it would be clearer if I opened it up.
BTW, I also changed the timing chain to a double roller type, and the old chain had considerable slack. New one is very tight. People talk about how the non roller chains stretch almost immediately.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2016
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From: Fayetteville GA
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 130
Likes: 17
I thought the shaded area was the seal. And that there is a matching seal half in the cap that goes over it. I guess I'll just take it apart and see where the factory put the sealant. Thanks.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,752
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From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Yes I agree that's what the instruction text is saying, but the picture text says to put the sealant on the seal. They contradict each other.
Another thing I don't understand is that once the cap goes back on and torqued, any sealant on either area is going to squish out to both areas. It's one flat surface.
I haven't disassembled yet, I like to understand the instructions first, as I don't know what I am doing. Maybe it would be clearer if I opened it up.
BTW, I also changed the timing chain to a double roller type, and the old chain had considerable slack. New one is very tight. People talk about how the non roller chains stretch almost immediately.
Another thing I don't understand is that once the cap goes back on and torqued, any sealant on either area is going to squish out to both areas. It's one flat surface.
I haven't disassembled yet, I like to understand the instructions first, as I don't know what I am doing. Maybe it would be clearer if I opened it up.
BTW, I also changed the timing chain to a double roller type, and the old chain had considerable slack. New one is very tight. People talk about how the non roller chains stretch almost immediately.
The double row chain should be quite tight when fitted, I put a small amount of sealant on the two mating surfaces of the rear main seal.
You only need the smallest amount of sealant, as others have said it can squeeze out when the bearing cap is torqued.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2016
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I did the seal. Once you see it with the cap off it's easy to see what to do. I was confused by the scale of the pic. The seal end is very small in the pic, next to the crank. You just have to make sure you don't get any sealant on it. The shaded part in the pic is just metal, not the seal, so you put a little sealant on it and it's supposed to keep the oil from the bearing from seeping onto your flywheel. These engines seem designed to leak oil. Maybe the 86+ seal better.
