Rear main seal replcement

[97MarkVIII]

Ok my RMS leak is starting to get worse and is now dripping oil on the exhaust.I'm gonna try ATP AT-205 first but either way the rms will have to be replaced eventually.Is there enough room to slide the trans/transfer case back and let it rest on the crossmember? as I don't feel like dealing with the Torsion bars or separating the TC and dropping the trans.

 

[koda2000]

No. The trans/t-case will have to come out and the torque converter and flywheel removed to gain access to the rear main seal, which is a one piece design. You' also need to take the rear main cap loose to get the new seal installed. There are YouTube videos on the subject. It's a lot of work. Also be sure the area of the crankshaft, where the seal rides, isn't grooved from wear, or the new seal will still leak. If you find it is grooved, there are repair sleeves available.

 

[lobo411]

Learn to live with it, unless you're losing massive amounts of oil (I'm talking cups per 500 mi). I haven't repaired my leaky rear main because I read though various threads and it seemed to me that this is a procedure with a very high failure rate. I'd rather put a cookie sheet under the truck to catch the dripping oil than spend a few days dropping the trans and replacing the seal, only to have it leak as bad or worse right away.

 

[97MarkVIII]

There's really not enough room to slide the trans/tc back about a foot? The high failure rate is probably because they never checked to so see if there's groove worn into the crank or installed it backwards.There's no need to mess with the main cap,now if it was a two piece seal then yes.

 

[koda2000]

Learn to live with it, unless you're losing massive amounts of oil (I'm talking cups per 500 mi). I haven't repaired my leaky rear main because I read though various threads and it seemed to me that this is a procedure with a very high failure rate. I'd rather put a cookie sheet under the truck to catch the dripping oil than spend a few days dropping the trans and replacing the seal, only to have it leak as bad or worse right away.

I have to agree with you. There is a good YouTube video that I've watched (more out of curiosity) where the mechanic doing the job took great pains to insure the job was done right. It's not a simple matter of just hammering in a new seal. My '01 EB 5.0L and '00 Mountaineer 5.0L both leak from the rear main seal and it falls right on the center cat. however neither vehicle has ever left a single spot on my driveway, so I'm not messing with it. It seems nearly all Ford 5.0's leak some oil from the rear main.