Rear main seal replacement. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Rear main seal replacement.

Darrman

Well-Known Member
Joined
October 8, 2005
Messages
755
Reaction score
6
City, State
Waxahachie, TX
Year, Model & Trim Level
'92 Sport 4x4/2001 Sport
Ok, my rear seal is leaking pretty good, at 104k, I guess its about that time for a new one. I am wondering what all is involved it replacing it.
I know that the trans has to be removed, and the converter/flywheel, or in my case the clutch/flexplate, to get at it. My chilton claims it can be replaced after this is done, but will the one peice seal fit over the rear hub?
Thanks for any help!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





not sure what your asking ...will the new seal fit over the end of the crank ? i would assume so .tho i have not done mine i think that there is a different rear main seal ...a updated version of it ...i think that the factory ones had faults with them and a newer updated version was produced to correct the old ones failures.may help to buy a "seal puller" and "installer" tools .this may help you remove it with out damageing the internal lip where the new seal sit in and the installer will help you get a even pressure all around the seal ..tho i don't think the installer is all that nessary ....just makes it easier and quicker but you can use a ball hammer witha piece of wood to get the same results ,just you have to be more carefull this way.

that help ?
 






Well I have never seen the back end of a 4.0, but on my 390 that I had rebuilt, the hub that the flywheel bolts to is bigger than the seal itself, which meant you would have a 2 peice seal.
So you should be able to pull the seal out and replace without any problem?
 












Make sure the PCV valve isn't clogged. If it is, the built up pressure can cause a leak at the rear seal. It's worth a try considering the alternative.
 






hmmm..... i did not know that ...makes seance tho....improper crank case ventalation would make the oil seep out at the weakest point....good point there .
 






Good point, I wish it was the case with mine, but I replace it every year. I did check tonite tho, clean and free.
I am sure this will be a pain in the ass, but I am tired of drips on the concrete. I use synthetic oil, which may be aiding its ability to leak, I dunno.
That plus the fact I have beefed the motor up a little may contribute also.
 






I changed my clutch & rear main seal a few months ago, and even though I can't remember exactly what the end of my crank had on it with the hub and everything, I know for a fact once I got the flywheel off, I was able to R&R the seal in no time.

Note here: Your leak MAY not be from the seal. My rear main was leaking a little, but the culprit ended up being the oil pan gasket... which, I'm sure you know, isn't going to get fixed unless my motor blows up and I have to replace it.
 






x2 on the oil pan gasket. there is no way im pulling the motor to replace the oil pan gasket. it can continue to leak. half of my problem is the valve cover gaskets, im just too lazy to spend a day cussing at the truck to change them.
 












The rear main seal isn't anything complex to replace if you're just trading one seal for another. Pop it off without messing up the surface, apply lube, bang the new one on evenly until it's flush. It's just a one piece seal that fits quite well over the rear crank hub. There's a shim kit (or special seal) for those that do leak due to the surface being too smooth, but the leaks do seem to be from somewhere else. I swore the oil leak at the back of the engine was the rear main, but it looks like the valve cover gasket, head gasket, or oil pan gasket are more likely. I guess replacing it while the tranny is down rather than risk it going bad and having to drop it again just for that makes sense, though. Just be sure to lube the new seal and take it super easy on the first startup after it's all together.
 






Back
Top