Can you access the rear main seal with transmission in place?
10-23-2018, 05:37 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Can you access the rear main seal with transmission in place?
I had a bolt from the rear main seal housing fall out and lodge itself between the converter and the bell housing, that was fun..
Anyways, I need to make sure there are no other bolts that are loose. Can this be done without removing the transmission?
If I take the converter shield off, can I access the rear main seal housing?
Anyways, I need to make sure there are no other bolts that are loose. Can this be done without removing the transmission?
If I take the converter shield off, can I access the rear main seal housing?
10-23-2018, 05:42 PM
#2
Team Owner
Pro Mechanic
You could leave the trans in place if you remove the engine. 
You need to pull the trans. I don't see how you could access those bolt w/o dropping the trans.
You need to pull the trans. I don't see how you could access those bolt w/o dropping the trans.
10-23-2018, 05:51 PM
#3
Drifting
Thread Starter
=Tom400CFI;1598211401I don't see how you could access those bolt w/o dropping the trans.
I figured that much, but I had a buddy at work come and ask me how the car was doing. When I explained the whole bolt episode, he swore the housing was accessible with the transmission in place. I figured I would ask here and see..
Last edited by AgentEran; 10-23-2018 at 05:52 PM.
10-23-2018, 05:55 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
….. Definitely NOT with a 1 piece rear main seal … '87- newer … with 2 pc rear main seal you just need to drop the oil pan , pump and rear main cap …..
10-23-2018, 06:01 PM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
Its a 96 LT1.. So you are saying this can be done by dropping the oil pan, oil pump and rear main cap?? This will allow me to check the bolts on the outside of the housing?
10-23-2018, 07:13 PM
#7
Team Owner
Pro Mechanic
10-23-2018, 07:32 PM
#8
Drifting
Thread Starter
You can access the bottom two from below. I don't see how to get in to access the top two with standard tools. If it was my project I'd probably weld up a harbor freight 10mm box end 12-point wrench in an S-shape that could get up there to check the torque on the top two. Or to re-install the missing bolt that fell out. And this would only work for the 10mm hex head bolts. Later engines use torx head bolts. I'm not positive what year the torx bolts begin. Probably 94 or 95.
The bolt that fell out is not torx headed so I'm good there. I'm going to look into doing this prob this weekend.. maybe during the end of the week.
10-23-2018, 09:51 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
….. No , I'm saying that '87 and newer (which includes 1996) have 1 piece rear main seal blocks … no way to adequately or accurately torque the bolts in the main seal adapter with the flex plate bolted to the crank …..
Last edited by C409; 10-23-2018 at 09:52 PM.