Rear main seal leak

JT's03

Registered User
In an 89sc 5spd. I found this car on my local forum and the guy is asking 450 for the car. I offered him 300 so well see if he takes it or not.

What is involved in replacing the rear main seal. If it is not the rear main...what else could it be??
 
The good news it that the rear main is a tap in seal so you do not have to pull the crank or the oil pan, the bad part is that you must pull the transmission and in order to pull the tranny you must drop the exhaust and the gas tank to remove the driveshaft.

As far as another possible source of an oil leak would be a valve cover....oil running down the back of the block and on the rear of the engine looking like a main seal leak.
 
As far as the gas tank goes, I think you can sneak by without removing it by dropping the differential partially and sliding the driveshaft back out of the way. Just FYI.
 
As far as the gas tank goes, I think you can sneak by without removing it by dropping the differential partially and sliding the driveshaft back out of the way. Just FYI.

Don't forget to disconnect the ABS sensors if you do this....

If you don't, you risk damaging the cables to the sensors....
 
Unless alot was changed by 96 then the tank and diff can stay in place to pull the tranny though the exhaust must come out. Motorcycle jack/lift works wonders as a tranny jack.
 
Check for a groove worn into the crank (by the seal). You might need to sleeve the crank to keep it from leaking. If it were me, unless it's a horrendous amount of oil, I would just wait until you have to take the transmission out for some other reason.
 
another thought . . .

Welcome!
If you don't have one already, and you are dropping the gas tank, get a 255hp fuel pump. Peace of mind and fuel support up to 500 HP.
Also a good opportunity to replace s spring and re-pack clutches in diff.

If, however you are wanting to do hg or motor work first, it might be just as easy to at least partially remove motor instead of disturbing the rear end.
I went ahead and pulled the motor and replaced the rings and bearings in mine, the originals were in there with 186k copper exposed...
Plan for about $300 in gaskets and engine parts if diy...

paul
 
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