rear main seal confusion
rear main seal confusion So I am building my first engine from the block up. My problem is I was putting on my rear cover with my rear main seal. My new fel-pro rear main seal did not look exactly like my OEM GM piece. It also was pre-lubed with a plastic insert in the middle. I hear everyone talking about making sure the seal does not fold back on itself and make sure its lubed, but this seal had no way to fold back on itself it was a direct slide on seal, but it just makes me nervous. Has anyone used one of these fel-pro rear mains and knows what I am talking about?
The engine is on the stand still so I want to do what I have to now while it is out of the car.
Also, do you have to put the harmonic balancer on before you tighten down all of your timing cover bolts or will it seat against the pan when you tighten the pan down? Logically if the balancer is on or off it will still seat where it needs to because the oil pan will not let it drop down any more.
The engine is on the stand still so I want to do what I have to now while it is out of the car.
Also, do you have to put the harmonic balancer on before you tighten down all of your timing cover bolts or will it seat against the pan when you tighten the pan down? Logically if the balancer is on or off it will still seat where it needs to because the oil pan will not let it drop down any more.
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 1
From: Clay, Alabama
LS1 front & aft Seals 07/20/11
I used the seals that come with a lower seal kit from Felpro on my freshly built LS1 and had great results. Use oil to lube seal surfaces before installation, after installing the seals in the endcovers I allowed the cranks position and the Harmonic bal. position to deside where to tighten down the covers. The oil pan gasket can handle .020 misalignment and be ok just make sure that you allow any misalignment to be shared equally on each side of the oil pan then tighten it to specs. Use a dab of hi temp silicone where the oil pan seals at the (cover and block crack) It is very important not to side load the seals or an early failure will occur.
Good luck!
mlatorre
I used the seals that come with a lower seal kit from Felpro on my freshly built LS1 and had great results. Use oil to lube seal surfaces before installation, after installing the seals in the endcovers I allowed the cranks position and the Harmonic bal. position to deside where to tighten down the covers. The oil pan gasket can handle .020 misalignment and be ok just make sure that you allow any misalignment to be shared equally on each side of the oil pan then tighten it to specs. Use a dab of hi temp silicone where the oil pan seals at the (cover and block crack) It is very important not to side load the seals or an early failure will occur.
Good luck!
mlatorre
Your not suppose to lube the inside of the seal where it rides on the back of the crank....it is reccommended that you use a thin layer gasket maker in the outside where it presses in the cover to seal imperfections.
I put a new rear main seal on my engine a couple weeks ago before we put my new tranny in.......it took 3 minutes. Did it myself and it was the first time I ever did one. Why all the problems and special tricks. I don't get it. I put it on, no lube at all, slapped a bunch of gasket sealer along the bottom shelf only and bolted the cover on. Perfect. Literally took 3 minutes. Whats all the hub-bubb about with these rear main seals?
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