Replacing Rear Main Seal
Replacing Rear Main Seal Ive got a 2000 Trans Am and am about to replace my rear main seal due to an oil leak. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips, pointers, or suggestions about doing this? I have a friend who had his replaced 8 times and it continued to leak. Any information will be appreciated. Thanks!
dude id love to help or give advice but ive never done one. but i have to do mine its leaking on the clutch making it slip. i have been right there cus ive dropped my trans like ten times. it looks like a timing chain cover on the front, looks like you just pop the cover and put a new seal in the cover and pop it back on...
You DO NOT have to take the rear cover off. If you are not disassembling the engine, just gently pry out the old seal. Slide the new seal over the end of the crank and begin by pushing it inward by hand, use a block of wood and slowly work your way around the seal tapping it in until it is flush with the cover.
If your buddy had the pan and rear cover off and now he can't stop it from leaking, it is probably becasue the front cover, rear cover and oil pan did not get aligned properly.
If your buddy had the pan and rear cover off and now he can't stop it from leaking, it is probably becasue the front cover, rear cover and oil pan did not get aligned properly.
dude id love to help or give advice but ive never done one. but i have to do mine its leaking on the clutch making it slip. i have been right there cus ive dropped my trans like ten times. it looks like a timing chain cover on the front, looks like you just pop the cover and put a new seal in the cover and pop it back on...
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2009
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I have a little tip that might help. To remove the seal i use an ALL and punch a hole in the mettal portion of the seal close to the seal adapter. Be careful not to hit the crank JOURNAL. Then install a sheet mettal screw in the hole and screw it in a bit. Then pry the seal out with plyers. It usually comes out real easy. Then install the new seal but remember ti coat ine lips with white loube. Tap thr seal in a HAIR then use the old seal turned around as a driving tool and tap the seal in the rest of the wAY. The old seals works nicely as a driving fixture. I have a tool that is used for this purpose. Definately do not remove the adapter from the back of the block. That is not necessary.
^^^i checked with spec...they said brake clean and ill b good it started leaking two day before i put it in storage, but when it started slippin i got pissed and poped the clutch like a **** and it started smelling like burnt motor oil then grabbing like a bitch, ive had the weirdest times with spec clutches....but well see...ive only dropped the trans like 5 times...lol
11 Second Club
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: long island, ny
easiest ways and the way i did mine was take the rear cover off the motor and put the new seal in. then do yourself a favor and sacrifice a roll of masking tape. take enough tape off the roll so its diameter is just a bit larger then the crank. slip it into the seal and slide the cover on and over the crank. the crank will push the tape out and the seal will sit perfectly. I tried to get the seal to sit all other ways but nothing worked without causing damage to the seal. it works trust me :-)
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I got a new rear cover gasket and rear main seal from GM. Cleaned the whole rear of the engine with brake cleaner. Took the cover off, removed the old seal. Cleaned the cover gasket areas. Installed the new rear main seal. I put a line of RTV silicone on the bottom of the rear cover where it will contact the oil pan and evened it out with my finger. The new seal from GM comes with a white plastic piece that installs in the void of the seal where the crank will go, leave that in and slide the cover onto the crank with the new gasket. I installed all of the bolts for the cover by hand first before tightening any of them with a ratchet. During tightening I LIGHTLY tightened the two long bolts that come up through the bottom to compress the Rtv and then tightened all of the other bolts fully and came back to the two long bolts to fully tighten them. Just make sure where the RTV will contact the oil pan gasket surface is clean and dry. I use a rag and Brake Clean. I replaced it 40k miles ago and Have no leaks.
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Read my post #8 carefully.
And for those that dont put a little bit of RTV where the bottom of the rear cover touches the oil pan it will probably leak. If you were replacing the oil pan gasket at the same time you wouldnt need to do this.
If you have to ask if you put rtv on the lip of the rear main seal you probably shouldnt be replacing it by yourself.
Read my post #8 carefully.
And for those that dont put a little bit of RTV where the bottom of the rear cover touches the oil pan it will probably leak. If you were replacing the oil pan gasket at the same time you wouldnt need to do this.
Read my post #8 carefully.
And for those that dont put a little bit of RTV where the bottom of the rear cover touches the oil pan it will probably leak. If you were replacing the oil pan gasket at the same time you wouldnt need to do this.
I didnt mean it in a negative manner, just stating that maybe you should ask for help. Didnt mean to come off as a dick. My bad.
Banned Village Idiot LS1BLKSS
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 152
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From: Cali
If you have to ask if you put rtv on the lip of the rear main seal you probably shouldnt be replacing it by yourself.
Read my post #8 carefully.
And for those that dont put a little bit of RTV where the bottom of the rear cover touches the oil pan it will probably leak. If you were replacing the oil pan gasket at the same time you wouldnt need to do this.
Read my post #8 carefully.
And for those that dont put a little bit of RTV where the bottom of the rear cover touches the oil pan it will probably leak. If you were replacing the oil pan gasket at the same time you wouldnt need to do this.
why can't we put RTV around the seal ? i see no problem with this just extra insurance that it won't leak, when you replace it again you just remove the seal and the just clean the rtv off the cover
You do what you want but you are not supposed to put any RTV on a seal such as the rear main or front seal. RTV is Room Temp Vulcanizing Silicon. Meaning silicone that Vulcanizes (hardens) at room temp. Its used to creat a gasket basically by compressing inbetween two surfaces while plyable and then hardening. As someone stated above about using RTV on their axle seals, it hopefully wasnt RTV but it could have been some over type of silicone that didnt harden.
Banned Village Idiot LS1BLKSS
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 152
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From: Cali
this is the stuff i was talking about, it's non-hardening 