Replacing rear main seal
 

My flywheel is off and I noticed that circular peice of rubber which surrounds the crank seems to be leaking. I belive this is the rear main seal. How do I remove it? And re-install w/ a new one? Do you now put rtv on the new one?

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

never mind : http://www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/staf...RMainSeal.html

So you dont put anything on the new one, just plop it in?

Is it true that the 97 + rear main seals are better and what about teflon vs. rubbeR?

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

I put a little oil around the inside diameter so it's not dry, but that's it.

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

The rubber (or whatever the seal material is) is pretty stiff and not easy to slip over the end of the crank. You might try heating it up a little with a hair dryer to make it a little more pliable.

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

no bueno. if left on there too long it can destroy the symmetries of the seal. applying oil to the journal and seal itself will work just fine in slipping it onto the crank.

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

K I got the teflon one and used the installed peice of plastic which came w/ it and it worked great slid right on then I pounded it down w/ a rubber hammer and block of wood. My other question is that the kit cam w/ another seal which looks like its suppose to go on the bracket thing above the circular seal. It has 4 bolts holding the bracket down. Is it possible to just remove those 4 bolts and put the new seal on that part too? Or is there more too it? That seems like it may be leaking as well. But I am afraid if I open it up maby the bg seal on the oil pan will leak then. Its like a semi-circle gasket.

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

Correct, that gasket is for the RMS housing-to-block connection.

The last two oil pan bolts are actually studs, which screw into the rear main seal housing. If you have an inverse torx, you can actually remove those studs, then remove the 4 perimeter bolts to remove the RMS housing from the block -- but you still risk damaging the oil pan seal. If you do this, be sure to drop the oil pan a little, as the oil pan gasket fits into a groove (just like the timing cover).

However, removing the housing will also remove the rear main seal. If you just installed a new one, you'll have trouble getting everything back installed without damaging the new rear main seal.

So... yeah. Choice is yours.

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

Thanks. but im still a little confused, so in order to replace that gasket w/ the 4 bolts I need to remove two studs for the oil pan and lower it a little? And in order to install the new gasket the old rear main seal needs to be removed?

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

The RMS housing will come off with the RMS in it. It will just slide off the end of the crank. RMS

Re: Replacing rear main seal
 

Autozone lists two felpro pt #'s one being rubber, the other teflon, which is correct for this application, is the teflon an upgrade over the rubber on a 96'? recommended?