i need to replace my rear main seal in my 1993 bronco. i know it is a big job but how much am i looking at to spend?? how much does the actual seal cost???

 

I knew a guy who had his rear main replaced in his '89 5.8L Bronco a few years ago. Pretty sure he told me $1300. Might have been at a dealer. Probably could get it done cheaper in some small town, maybe not.

The rear main seal is itself is around $20. If it needs the seal with a repair sleeve, then about $40. Everything else is labor, a lot of it.

Be absolutely sure that it is really a rear main leak. He said his was gushing, so it was obvious. But for a slow leak, there are other leak sources that can confuse people sometimes into thinking its the rear main. Such as - oil pan gasket leak, valve cover gasket leak towards the back of the head, and a common mistake, the intake manifold to block rear seal.

To verify a real rear main leak, you really want to see engine oil coming out of the trans inspection plate, coming straight down the inside of the cover from the seal, not trans fluid working forward down the inside curve of the trans bellhousing.

Knock on wood, I've never had a rear main leak on any vehicle of mine, and that's a lot of engines and lots of years. I guess what I'm saying is clean it up, and verify it really is the rear main, if you haven't done that already. Too many people just guess that's what it is.

 

Small block Fords are known for there rear main seal leaks. I have yet to own one that does not have a rear main leak. If it is a serious leak I would get it looked at. A small leak does not bother me at all. I think it just adds character to the street.

 

mine needs to be replaced as well.it is leaking right by the dust shield.i think that is what it is. right bt the bell housing.it was a slow leak now it is spread out a little bit more.94 302 eb. does the seal come in 2 parts? like a half of a moon style?

 

maybe try a different motor oil first.maybe a little thicker.i run the valvoline 20/50 max life.something that might recondition the seals..

 

A leak is a leak no matter what oil you put in it. If its small, and you can live with that, then just let it be. For now. It will get worse, then you will have a big rainbow following you when it rains. Seal is about $20, and if you go to a transmission shop, you are looking at quotes ranging between $300 to $600. Anything above that is too much for a qualified tranny shop to charge.

I did mine myself. Mind you, I had other leaks as well. For that reason I opted to pull then engine instead of the transmission. I changed the rear and front seals as well as the valve and oil gaskets. Chances are if your rear main is leaking, then the others will eventually follow. Pulling the engine and changing everything took a full day, re-installing it took half of the next.

-Matt

 

thank for your help

 

Mine had a rear leak, it turned out it was the pan gasket. I could see the gasket squished out and suspected it. The job was about 600 bucks, but I also had them replace the factory oil pump since they were in there, and the engine had about 125k on it. Had it been the rear main seal, I would have had the front trans seal done at the same time, since they are right there and it may have been affected by the oil leak. No sense ignoring the trans seal if you have to pull the trans. Good luck. BTW - the rear main seal ain't the cheapest since it is a big job, shop for good prices and be sure of the mechanic (find one that is recommended and been around for a while). Cheap mechanics are a dime a dozen.

 

If it's a small leak, just ignore it and check the engine oil more often. If it's a big one, you do need to fix. Depending on the place, $500 - $1000 seems a right amount to me since you need to pull the tranny and do lots of other things just to get to the seal. If you do it yourself, plan a weekend for it (though it's doable in half day if you're experienced) and have a buddy on hand who can help occasionally.