And this is the correct GM seal right? I thought it would be blue for some reason. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-LS...Q5fAccessories

 

Yup thats it.

 

all your labor is there, replace the ckutch or stall

 

looks like you can also buy the seal already pressed into the rear cover http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

If you remove or replace the entire rear cover, you need to be very careful to align it properly during installation. The cover is meant to be installed with an alignment tool to ensure the seal is centered on the crank...if it's not, it will leak and trash your new clutch disc.

Best way is to leave the cover on the engine in proper alignment, pull the old seal, clean both the seal housing as well as the crank sealing surface, then use the J-41479 tool to ease the new seal into place. We found a new one on eBay for $75 a while back and it's been worth the money.

The seals I've installed had instructions specifying a light coat of motor oil on the *exterior* of the new seal, where it seats into the seal housing. Crank surface should be completely clean and dry, and don't oil the new seal's crank lips at all.

 

are there some seals to buy that are better than others? or is the one I go pick up at my local auto parts store just as good as any?

 

When I changed an axle seal, i bought it from autozone and it ended up leaking again. For the rear main, i'm not going to take any chances and get a GM seal. Check out that first link I posted.

 

The GM part is a sure thing. I've used Fel-Pro seals on LT1 and L98 engines with great results also, so if I couldn't get a GM piece I'd be OK using a Fel-Pro. Those are the only two seals I'd recommend.

 

Never install a seal DRY on its sealing surface. And use the proper installing tool like posted above. The rear adapter must be centered in the crank JOURNAL and cant be done once removed. Seals are always lubed on the rotating mating surfacees. I never heard any seal company instruct a seal replacement DRY . Just my .02$

 

These are teflon coated lip seals, they go on the crank journal completely dry, otherwise there will be no transfer of the teflon to the crank. By the Felpro rear main seal (p/n - BS40640) and install it dry, be sure and read the instructions, everything you need to do and know is explained there, it also comes with the white install tool. DO NOT remove it from the seal. These are double reverse lip seals, the seal lips need to lay on the crank properly to work. This is why so many have problems. Once again, DO NOT take the plastic install tool out of the seal. Just install the seal as it comes out of the box after reading the instructions. Teflon lip seals have been used for awhile now on these engines..... ever since they switched from the Olive drab green seals.

I wouldn't waste time pulling the rear cover, no need to. Just remove the old seal with methods mentioned above and install the New. It wouldn't hurt to use an anerobic sealant like Loctite 518 on the O.D. of the seal before installing it into the rear cover. The NEW revised GM seals, also the same supplied in the Felpro line, have far less press and can almost be pushed in by hand. The Loctite 518 helps to hold them in place.

 

You should share your wisdom with GM. They're mistakenly printing exactly what I wrote on the instructions that come with their seals.

 

I do all types of seals as an engine rebuilding shop and for many years all type of teflon seals actually come with loube on the lip seal from the factory. I know exactly what the instructions say. I have 20 seals sitting in my parts room. I still loube them. If you care not to then go for it. I assemble more engines in one week than most do in a lifetime. I am totally aware of the installed seal protector that is factory installed. I have been dealing with 5.0 ford rear main seal problems for years and chevy is no different. Do it any way you want. But the GM rep John Higgins showed us the way to install them properly. You can install them dry but we dont know how long the engine will sit before its installed and started. So the gm boys tell us to coat the crank with some loube (very very lightly to keep it coated for storage and we do it from habit and it works for us). Not our decision its theirs. You can definately install them dry but we dont. So coat the outside dont coat the outside pre loube them dont pre loube them its your seal and your clutches. I will tell you one thing if you coat the outside that seal has a tendency to walk out and blow oil all over the clutch or converter. Never loube the outside it neads all the friction it can get to stay in the adapter. You know seals can also leak from other places other than from the rotating PORTION. So why a light coat of oil on the outside ???????? We never loube the outside it will cause the seal to push out or in some cases spin out. ( depends on the interferance fit of the adapter) John informed us that the seal instructions deliberately say no loube so that the outside is perfectly dry. He explained to us that people have a habit of getting loube on the outside LIP this is a NO NO. I always hate to get oil on an expensive clutch. Just me i could be wrong.

 

This is directly from the GM service manual. They have built a few million more of these than anyone on here.

Lubricate the outside diameter (OD) of the oil seal (1) with clean engine oil. DO NOT allow oil or other lubricants to contact the seal surface.
Lubricate the rear cover oil seal bore with clean engine oil. DO NOT allow oil or other lubricants to contact the crankshaft surface.

 

Confucius say: "Never confuse a man with 20 years of experience, with a man who has one year of experience repeated 20 times."

 

The only problem with the service manual procedures are updates, they don't make them when they have a design change. Have run across this more than once. They too seem to 'carry up' procedure from years past in certain instances. The LS engine family has had a revised rear main seal, I can vouch for this.

I did a post on this about a year and half ago to show the differences, there are pics somewhere, I am too lazy to search for them.....

The old Olive green seals used in the front and back of the engine used to install very, very tight in the covers. The NEW black seals darn near push in with your fingers, at least in the rear. When they made the switch alot of people were uncomfortable with the install (fitment) of the NEW seal. I would not put oil the O.D. (outside dimension) on those, they already fit sort of sloppy. BTW, Chrysler has recommended for many years to put Loctite 518 on their rubber coated cam/crank seals during service (outside only - cover side). I have done it many times, it works, they don't come out, and when you have to take them out, they are a b**ch. The 518 sets up and defintely holds them in place. Just my $.02 which is only worth about $.0005.

 

I am going to take some photos of some seals later and post them. I know what you are saying 69 but we have found that the seals can and in some cases will spin out of the adapter plate. We use loctite on NISSON TOYOTA AND HONDA seals. We have been seeing several seals work their way out of some heads and aux shafts ETC. Heli coil is correct the seals litterly push in by hand. We found this out years ago when porsche changed over to the newer seals. The seals really dont fit very tight in the bores and we use loctite or Detroit Diesel sealer(GRAY) I have seen many a new type seal do this. I am in the process of sealing a toyota motor that blew out a seal. I will post photos after work. Good discussion GUYS and there is always many different ways to do things in this world. Some work and some dont. Chevy changed their seals and so did ford and chrysler. Honda and nissan teflon seals always come pre loubed. Photos to come . Peace Tom

 

i need some pictures here, cause now you all confused me i have no idea what needs oil and what doesn't.

 

Here is a NISSAN crank seal. Note the factory loube. Its teflon.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t...amily303-1.jpg

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t.../family304.jpg

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t.../family306.jpg

Here is a rear seal that has turbine grooves that actually push the oil back so it does not seep out of the rear of the crank and ruin the clutch. They also let oil enter behind the first lip. So either way the second the engine is stated oil is in the seal. So why does it matter if its pre loubed. Hope this helps. Peace Tom

 

Tom it was explained to me years ago that once the crank rotates a few revs the teflon is transferred to the crank journal just as it is designed to. So at that point oil in that area is irrelevant. As long as the teflon gets the opportunity to transfer to the crank on a dry surface it does what the engineers want it to do. I can't help but agree with how these crank seals get packaged with protectors and all from the suppliers.

I have installed many dry on these engines and they don't leak. BTW, teflon is a lubricant, right?

In the end, I suppose whatever works is the right way.

 

Could it be the lube is to prevent the seal from tearing when it's installed?