How complex a job is a rear main seal replacement? I've just noticed the past couple days my main seal is dribbling oil on the driveway... Car's a 1994 M6.

 

Replacing it is stright forward, but the job itself is time consuming and can be hard if you don't have the right tools. Are you sure it's the RMS? Could it be something higher that is just leaking down?

 

I've gotta get underneath it, and have a close look... I'll do that next weekend when I swap plugs. For now I'm just looking at the "usual suspects" and getting informed.

 

Well alot of people mistake the rear main leak for a rear intake leak dribbling down, just FYI.

 

^^^ Cool man, I'll check it out, and get back.

 

FYI

http://www.microsleeve.com/csrs.html

 

Intake usually as mentioned above. The main seal can be dealt with using high mileage oil which contains more swelling agent than conventional oil. Give it a try.

 

When I bought my car and looked underneath and saw all the class 2 oil leak, my initial thought was the rear main also, but after pulling the engine and taking a gander, it turned out to be the rear portion of the head and intake manifold gasket. The oil was leaking from the top, in between the engind and bell housing and coming out the bottom between the engine and bell housing as well as all over the outside of the bell housing and engine. One big mess!
So I pulled the whole engine/transmission....just to see if I could and to replace what needed replacin' Now that I have it out, I might as well replace the rear main...but I have just one question: Can the rear main seal be replaced without pulling the oil pan?

 

Of course, I replaced mine when i did my clutch a few years back. I just put a new one on my build also.

 

Damn, you are committed! Might as well do mods with the engine out.

 

I thought my real main was leaking a few years ago. Just in case it was the intake, I took it off, made it seal well...did that twice just in case.

No luck.

I pulled the motor because I had some concerns and guess what, it was not the rear main...it was the freeze plug at the back of the cam that was leaking.

It would have pissed me off to swap the rear main..it would have still leaked.