bmxer8699

iTrader: (16)

Ive had my car for 2 years, and have had to replace the rear main seal 3 times, now it is leaking again. i have a full bolt on car, 3200ss tq converter. and a different shop did it each time?

is there a bigger seal i need or what?

Crimsonnaire

iTrader: (1)

Have you checked to make sure that your valve covers aren't leaking? A valve cover leak can give an identical appearance as a rear main seal leak.

bmxer8699

iTrader: (16)

no i havent, how do i check

Crimsonnaire

iTrader: (1)

The valve covers are at the 10:30 and 1:30 positions beside the intake manifold. They're the elongated metal covers that's close by the upper end of the spark plug wires. They're right in front of you when you open the hood.

Just look along the sides and into the back, and feel for any oil on the walls of the cover. If your covers are leaking oil, it won't be hard to find. On the other hand, if you can't find any real trace of oil, then you can rule that out.

Are you sure the fluid leaking out from the bottom is engine oil? You could have a leak at the front transmission seal, but the fluid would of course be trans fluid, which I'm not sure how it looks, but should be distinguishable from engine oil.

If it is engine oil, inspect your oil pan for any leaks. If there's no leak, then it's safe to say that it's coming from your rear main seal, though it may not be the seal itself. I believe the seal rests on a metal liner ring, and if that's bent or cracked, then you'll get just as much oil--if not more.

camaroguy26

iTrader: (21)

the trans fluid will be red, oil of course is brown, actually you'll see it as black probably with all the grime it picks up when it leaks. They have very distinct smells to them also, I can't describe it but pop your oil filler cap and smell to compare it if the color isn't clear. (just don't sniff too long haha)

samson_420

iTrader: (1)

If it is a rear main, it might not be the seal itself. It might be the crank.

bmxer8699

iTrader: (16)

alright, ill check that out in the morning.

what is leaking is oil, i can distinguish the smell really well.

redchevytruck

iTrader: (3)

what you mean it might be the crank.. out of shap? i have the same problem.. i just got my new 408 going and have put 3 diff. seals in it trying to get it to stop leakin.

2SLOWT/A4NOW

Replacing the rear main can be kinda tricky. if the seal is cocked in the bore the least little bit, it will leak. Also, if the seal surfaced on the crank is grooved...leak. How much oil pressure you running? Also, check you PCV system. There is an underlying cause for the seal leaking. You need to find and repair the root cause or your just gonna continue to throw money away replacing seals. One other thing I have seen is when the seal is installed, the lip gets folded under, but that will cause an inmediate leak, not one that develops over time. HTH

bmxer8699

iTrader: (16)

the oil pressure runs in the middle normally at idle

TXZ28LS1

iTrader: (5)

hey man, it may possibly be that the shops that fixed your leak might have used a cheap seal. i had my rear leaking and it turned out that it was a pinion seal. so i paid $199 bucks.. to fix it. so i drive home and 2 days later i check and its still leaking. so i called up a local guy (who i should have called the first time) he ripped through it and turns out that they used a really cheap seal. has leaked ever since then.

Redneck02

its not that hard to change out the rear main seal. time consuming but not real hard. like stated above, would look at your valve covers first. then move down the block. make sure its not your oil pan. i had that problem, not really sure how it happend but even replacing the oil pan wasnt hard. good luck and keep us posted.