#^$(#$&% Rear Main Seal!

[mj_duell]

My question is to all guys with FE's that have done this before. What is the best procedure for changing out a Rear Main Seal? I know this has been covered in other posts but I get kind of confused on what to do and not what to do. For instance, do I use the rods for the side seals or just RTV? Also, I am using the seal from Fel-Pro, do you think it's any good? I will be racing my Cobra again in August, I would hate to have another seal go south. A step by step list would be great.



--Mike

[R U YELLA]

Here is a good article that I found and used: http://www.squarebirds.org/rear_main_seal.htm

I did it twice and found that you should not use sealant between the caps. Offset the two seals so they don't line up with the caps and put a small amount of sealant on the ends. My leak was actually coming from the cam shaft expansion plug. Whoever rebuilt the engine for the previous owner installed it backwards!

[mj_duell]

Your cam shaft plug was backwards? Must have been a Chevy man who put it together Let me guess concave instead of convex installation. I hope it is not my cam plug or any other plug. That would mean pulling the tranny and bell housing. The leak is coming from the lower part of the shaft on the back of the block, at least that is the way it looks when viewed with the inspection cover off. Oh, by the way, what is the torque spec for the rear main cap when I re-install it?



--Mike

[R U YELLA]

Actually FE's are the only ones that install the plug being flat on the outside. That is how mine was leaking as well. I had to start the engine let it start dripping & then remove the bellhousing. That is when I saw the leak coming from the plug instead of the rear seal. Make sure that it is not the oil pan or the intake leaking. The leak could also be coming from the hydraulic plugs as well.

I don't know the torque specs off the top of my head but it is covered in the "How to rebuild a Ford Big Block" book. A must book for all FE engine work. I want to say 85 - 90 ft/# but look it up to make sure

[mj_duell]

I checked the oil pan with the engine running and the inspection plate removed. Definitely not the pan. Really do hope it is the rear seal or this project will take three times as long to fix.



--Mike

[Keithc8]

Off set the rear seals between the cap and block, use a little silicone between the cap and the block at the bottem. Use the pieces that came with the Fel-Pro rear seal between the cap and the block. Use aerarobic[not spelled right] sealer on both sides of the rubber seals supplied and slide them in when you install the cap, making sure they go all the way down with the cap. Then drive the nail type parts down between the rubber side seals and the cap driving the pieces out against the block. Hope all of this makes sense. Good luck, Keith

[mj_duell]

Hi Kieth8,
Thanks, that is exactly what I needed. As for sealant, anaerobic is the (RTV) type that hardens without air correct? What is the best brand/type to use?



--Mike

[trularin]

I use that thin black stuff, but I can not tell you who makes it.

I use a 3/8" offset and place a dot on each end of the seal as you replace the cap.

Oh, and I recall, you can get an offset in the lip of the seal to keep the new one out of the goove of the old one. So, take the old seal with you and look at the ends.

Hope this helps.

[mj_duell]

Thanks trularin,
This seems to be more of a common problem than I thought . I need to make sure I do this correctly, don't want to blow oil at 6200 RPM at the Glen again!



--Mike