Hate to admit this but after spending the day replacing the rear main seal and oil pump she started leaking again after about 30 minutes of driving.

It was a Fel-Pro seal... not saying it was the seals fault just providing facts.

I am thinking possibly...

- Seal installed backwards

- Shaved some material off when installing upper seal

- Crankshaft has a "nick"

- Actually not leaking from rear main

Looking for any feedback... anyone go through this before?

Thanks...

Also, might be selling it at this point... would be a good parts truck... lots of mods.

 

did you use the dab of RTV at the notch, and the anaerobic sealer on the flange?
(see haynes or service manual)
did you look closely at the shape of the seal to ensure it wasn't backwards?
did the seal slide in easily or did you have to force it?
torque correct?

if its oil, it pretty much has to be coming past the seal
or... maybe leaking from the top of the motor.

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech-article-31.html

 

Thanks for your help...

We put RTV and red loctite where the arrows point on the pavementsucks writeup.

Honestly, I didn't put it in. I was working with a friend and trusted him more then myself. The new seal was not painted on one side. We matched it to what came out. But this was working upside down. Could have made a mistake. It's on me... I should have paid more attention. I am hoping it is just in backwards.

Once again, I did not put it in. It looked like after it got started, it went right in. Was tricky to get going.

Over torqued by mistake to 90ft pds. My fault.



I just don't understand why it was fine for a good amount of time before starting to leak again.

 

i also used a timken seal. it was the only one AZ had and mine's been good for 5 or 6 years.
slight overtorque is ok.
i don't know why it held for awhile, and then let go. perhaps in backwards.
give it another try. double check everything.
make sure the crank is loose enough that the seal slides in with no force or scrape on the edges.

you can see the shape here. note the lip on the rear.

 

Thanks for posting the pic. I do see the difference now.

I kind if hope it is in backwards... cause if it is in correctly then.... ???

Gonna let it sit for a couple weeks before I do the work.

Thanks again for your input.

 

Red Loktite is not anaerobic sealant. The correct sealant will dry to a rubber type compound like RTV, but it does so in the absence of air, which is the reason you can't just use regular RTV. Basically, you're using the stuff to make the two piece gasket seamless., by keeping the oil from sneaking around the gasket.

My guess is the red Loktite dissolved out in the oil bath and that's why it let go.

It may seem counterintuitive, but dip that upper seal in oil before you push it in behind the crankshaft. It'll be exposed to oil it's whole life, you don't want to damage it pushing it in the groove.

 

So I did the job again. Same result.

The seal was in correctly... facing the right direction and not damaged.

The crank had a groove but not too bad.

The new seal went in easy and I used the "shoehorn" to make sure it did not get cut.

The only thing I did not do is use Loctite 515 on the rear cap. I used a little Grey RTV.

The oil is coming down the front of the dust shield. Not oil on the pan... could it be something else?

When your rear main was leaking is this what it looked like?







Pic from top. Top of bell housing is "sweating" but not wet.

 

I understand now what you mean here... and both times were not done that way.

Has anyone ever used just RTV?

 

Are you sure it isn't the pan gasket leaking?

 

the Service Manual and the Haynes manual are both the same, calling for a couple of drops of anaerobic sealant on the face of the flange.
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...ket_makers.htm

I don't see why a very very very thin coat of rtv on the flange face wouldn't work, but i just did as it said.

Did you put anything on the machined flange surfaces?