So after doing a little searching, apparently you need a special tool to change the rear main seal. So what I did was pull the rear cover plate with the seal in it, took it over to an engine shop and asked them if they could change it. He told me that the rear cover plate has to be put on with a special tool to be lined up correctly with the crankshaft, then there is another special tool to put the rear main seal on after the rear cover plate has been put on and centered. He showed me the tool and said it cost him $1100 for both of them and that he does not rent them out because they cost so much. So how in the heck am I going to get this thing changed if my car is sittin in my garage on jackstands with the transmission and clutch sittin right next to it? He told me if I brought the engine in he would change it for me, but it'd cost me 88 bucks. Yeah, like I'm going to pull the engine just to have the rear main seal changed. So what do I do?

James

 

eh.... I've changed mine before with a screwdriver, never leaked. Just get the cover hot in an oven and it'll slide on pretty easy.

Putting a new seal on the crank is kinda hard. Just gotta be careful you don't fold the inner lip over. You pretty much have to drop the pan about an inch to have enough play to get it on right.

 

Well, my new textralia clutch was ruined from it going bad and I'm putting a new one in next week along with the new seal. I dont want it leaking all over my new clutch AGAIN, so I want to make sure this is done 100% correctly with the right tools. I have heard you COULD do it with a screwdriver and eyeball it, but there is a pretty good chance it'll leak and I'm not willing to take that chance. Thanks for the help.

James

 

I did mine out of the vehicle so it may not apply but I took the cover off, used a screwdriver or punch or anything to hammer it out from the inside, it doesn't take much, I placed the cover on a towel on the ground face up so its flat and the surface doesn't get scratched, I placed the seal on the hole so it was square and put a piece of 2x4 across it (a 6"ish long piece) and hammered the center of the wood, I would hammer it a couple times and then rotate it so it was pushing down evenly. It went in really nicely, drop the pan a bit so you dont fold the lip of the seal over like mr2guru said and slide it on carefully with a new rear cover gasket or sealant (get a second opinion but I would use a new gasket), put in the rear cover bolts, make sure you tighten the oil pan back up and your done.

 

I have the new gasket for the cover plate, but if I drop the pan an inch or so, wouldnt I have to replace the gasket for that also?

 

Don't know what to tell you bud..... Looks like "100% correctly with the right tools" will cost you $88 and a motor pull.

 

No, it's re-useable. Just apply some rtv at the corners where the block/oil pan/rear cover meet.

 

Well, when you lose an $1100 dollar clutch with 700 miles on it, you cant help but be a little over cautious . I hear mixed opinions on whether to use the special tool, or to use a screwdriver. I'm also worried about lining up the rear cover plate correctly, though I wouldnt think itd be that difficult. It's just after hearing it takes $1100 in tools to do this right, I didnt think it'd be easy to do it without them.

 

people that have the tools say its the only way that you can do and people that dont have the tools tell you what will work and ive seen it done like that with no problems!

 

The way the others described it will work, (I did it) but you have to be super super careful. The tool is the right way to do it, but like most things you can get away by jimmy rigging it alittle, you just have to use your head.

 

You don't need any damn special tool. The only tool you need is a small screwdriver to work the seal onto the crank. Do you best not to scratch it, and certainly not rip it. This is what I did and have had no problems at all.

 

Alright, thanks for all your help. I'll give it a try.

 

That is how I did mine pulled it out and installed it I usually spray some silicon on it and work in one side then bring the rest around then get a deep socket and lightly tap the seal flush with the cover with the drive end of the socket . I use the socket so I don't mis and hit the crank

 

It seems obvious that the intent is to make sure the rear seal is centered on the crankshaft. A similar simple procedure is done for the front cover and seal: Hold the front cover loosely with a couple bolts; push on the crank pulley which also functions as the seal's rotating surface so that the front cover & seal are centered; then tighten the bolts. No alignment tool needed.

 

I have the kent moore real seal installer. I bought it when I swapped motors casue I wanted to be 100% sure that it would not leak since it requires a tranny pull to get to it.. Worked pefect and seal does not leak 2000 miles later..

 

i just changed mine and was a piece of cake with the new reverse type seal i dont have the part # but got it from dealership the first seal on new motor was oppisite taper very hard to put on without the tool but new style slips right on and centers itself tighten cover then the panbolts i put a small bead of rtv where pan and cover meets.1st time i didn and worried bout the small gap between the two and pulled seal out of alignment by pulling cover down too far

 

when you buy the new seal from GM it comes with a plastic ring in it. i took the ring out and tried to put it on my crank (motor is out of car) it wouldnt go on at all. so i was told by another member to wrap tape around the ring and it expands the inside diameter of the seal. i did it and it worked great. i did mine in two stages though, i wraped some tape, and then put the ring back in and let it sit for a couple of days, then i took it out, wrapped more tape around it and put it back in, when i put the rear cover on and pushed the new seal on it went right on, no problems. you cant really miss align the thing because the rear seal just pushes in so tightly into the rear cover you cant do it any way but right, the only thing you can do is get the seal folded over on itself, and the tape wrap method with the plastic ring solves all problems.