Rear Main Seal
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Rear Main Seal
I was at autozone getting oil today to do an oil change, and i started talking about my leaking rear main seal...he started talking about it, and he talked me into buying one. I've got a 1987 f-250 with a 460 in it, and he siad that you can just unbolt the pan, rotate it, remove the bearing cap and the rear main journals, which will drop the crankshaft just enough to remove the seal, and you can replace it and all, with the engine still in the truck...does anyone have any experience with this, or do they know anything about it? any help would be appreciated...thanx. 
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 8
From: Union, Washington
Yeah, I've heard these kinda stories too. He isn't doing it, so it's easy. I don't believe the crank will drop at all with the rear main cap removed, unless your bearings are totally shot. If they were that bad you would hear them. But he did sell you something else didn't he?
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,544
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From: okc
like he said, that crank shouldnt budge with only one main cap removed....are you positive its your main seal??? i thought my main seal was out a few years ago, cause my truck would drop a quart of oil in fifteen minutes after i parked it....i pulled the motor and put in on an engine stand, getting all ready to do a major teardown...when i pulled the oil pan i noticed the gasket was looking pretty rough, then when i looked at the main seal there wasnt any oil around it at all...so i took a chance and just replaced the oilpan gasket, and presto, problem solved...since the oil runs down the back of the block, a bad oil pan gasket can leak pretty bad, leading you to believe the main is bad.....
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he did sell me a lot of other goodies...but when i was putting the drain plug back in, i did notice a little oil around the pan gasket, but I brought it in to one of my buddies shops, and he said that it was the rear main seal. it started out very slowly, but it seems as if its getting worse. it'll run me around $1500 to have a shop take care of it.
Tuned
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 345
Likes: 4
From: Southern IL
First, if everything goes right you can do it in the truck with this modification in the instructions. After removing the pan you have to loosen all of the main cap bolts a set amount, I don't remember off the top of my head, then remove the rear cap and follow previous instructions. To take the pan all the way off you will have to unbolt the motor mounts and raise the engine as far as possible, drop the pan and then reach inside and remove the oil sump or entire oil pump, then the pan will come out, I've done it.
I would like to mention that if your main isn't leaking faster than you pour it in you will get great results from using a synthetic blend oil like those made for higher mileage cars. They have seal conditioners in them and can greatly reduce oil leakage under any driving condition. My old truck leaks really bad when I work it hard but I can still tell a big difference in oil loss/consumption.
I would like to mention that if your main isn't leaking faster than you pour it in you will get great results from using a synthetic blend oil like those made for higher mileage cars. They have seal conditioners in them and can greatly reduce oil leakage under any driving condition. My old truck leaks really bad when I work it hard but I can still tell a big difference in oil loss/consumption.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: west central florida
I would pull the motor and do it correctly, working under a block between a crossmember with an oil pump, and oil pump pick up and an oil pan fighting you isnt easy, the seal will not come out without a fight 
AND you taking a chance of nicking the cranks seal surface 
..... besides keeping it all clean, using a torque wrench, making sure everything is right, pan gasket fighting you, etc.......
pull it, put it on a stand, pull the pan, check your bearings, replace the seal, maybe invest in a high volume pump.....if you have an automatic, see if the front seal is leaking and fix it now.....button it all up, swing her back in and everything is done, done correctly, neatly and you will be sure it is all working and it in my opinion will take less time then dropping the pan and fighting everthing
my experienced opinion
AND you taking a chance of nicking the cranks seal surface ..... besides keeping it all clean, using a torque wrench, making sure everything is right, pan gasket fighting you, etc.......pull it, put it on a stand, pull the pan, check your bearings, replace the seal, maybe invest in a high volume pump.....if you have an automatic, see if the front seal is leaking and fix it now.....button it all up, swing her back in and everything is done, done correctly, neatly and you will be sure it is all working and it in my opinion will take less time then dropping the pan and fighting everthing
my experienced opinion
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: FLOWER MOUND,TX
what are they going to do for $1500???replace the rear seal???i believe you could rebuild the whole motor for that or pretty close to it..i'm not trying to sound like a smart @*# but i wouldn't want to see you get ripped off and i don't even know you...i would try the high milage oil and tighten up the pan a little...make sure your pcv is good...get a second opinion
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Calhoun, ga
H'mmmm.... I'm hoping he didn't sell you any land in Florida.....
Just a tip from an old pro - if you get under there and do all that, get a cheap pair of clear goggles and put them over yer eyes and wrap an old T-shirt over yer head when you are under the engine with the pan off. You'll come out from under there a lot happier and be able to get a lot more work done. I practically made a LIVING off of doing rear seals for 12 years... got to be too boring, so now I'm into computers and about to get laid off (THANKS India...). Maybe I ought to go back to scraping pan gaskets...
Just a tip from an old pro - if you get under there and do all that, get a cheap pair of clear goggles and put them over yer eyes and wrap an old T-shirt over yer head when you are under the engine with the pan off. You'll come out from under there a lot happier and be able to get a lot more work done. I practically made a LIVING off of doing rear seals for 12 years... got to be too boring, so now I'm into computers and about to get laid off (THANKS India...). Maybe I ought to go back to scraping pan gaskets...
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
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From: Billings Montana
Originally Posted by TxBrokenarrow
what are they going to do for $1500???replace the rear seal???i believe you could rebuild the whole motor for that or pretty close to it..
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Union, Washington
Originally Posted by big hoss 29
I was quoted $900 for just the labor. After picking myself up off of the floor and calling the guy a damn crook, I decided to do it myself changing the clutch, oil pump, timing chain and distributor all in one shot. It should be a fun job, but one that will be worth it.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
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From: Billings Montana
Originally Posted by Bear 45/70
There is no way there is $300 in parts for this deal and $900 for labor, what kinda mechanic they have, one armed and blind?
They told me it was $450 if it was a one piece rear main, and $900 for the two piece because they had to pull the motor and double the time.
Tuned
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 345
Likes: 4
From: Southern IL
Like I sorta said before, you can drop the pan, unbolt the oil pump and then pull the pan and all out from under the truck. Then, loosen all the main bearing cap bolts, remove the rear cap, then the seal can be changed. Reverse order for assembly, been there and done it or I wouldn't say it.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,223
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From: Billings Montana
It's sad that making money is more of a priority to some shops than common sense and a good reputation. It kind of gave me a case of the **** to have someone else do the work rather than myself anyway. These tips are great because I have never had to replace a rear main seal before and I want the easiest way to do it, so if anyone else has any more tips for another "not yet been there, not yet done that" guy, don't be shy.
Last edited by big hoss 29; May 14, 2005 at 12:12 AM.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,398
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From: Hesperia, CA
For information purposes only, I had a rear seal leak. I got under the truck and looked up and realized that their was oil on the back of the engine. It turned out that the oil sender was leaking. I happily replaced it as it was a lot easier than the rear seal. I went on fat, dumb, and happy thinking that I had solved my problem. A few weeks later I parked in a friends driveway and when I pulled out there was a puddle of oil. I crawled back uder there and found that oil was coming out of a hole in the upper half of the block where a tranny bolt used to be. I replaced the missing tranny bolt and no more leaks. It just proves that a lot of things can cause a leaking rear seal symptom.
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