Correct Install of Rear Main Seal?

[DKneble]

Hey,
Finished this job up at like 2am this morning and wanted to make sure I did this right because it seems I took a shortcut or otherwise was just too easy.

Replaced rear main since I was replacing the flywheel anyway. I took off the five bolts holding the seal case to the engine and two holding the oil pan to the case. Then I carefully pried it off the motor. Scraped off old gasket stuff, replaced rear main, applied grey permatex and new gasket, slid on new rear main in the case and tapped in place. Reattached the seven bolts.

The haynes manual, now that I found it, says the oil pan needs to be dropped. I did not do this but I thought everything went fine. Did I miss something or was I just lucky to get if off without removing the pan? Thanks...sleep deprived motivated work leads to doubts and causes more sleep deprivation

Dave

 

[dsmmatt28]

The reason it says that cause if you dont you might have an oil leak. from the oil pan you should at least drop the oil pan and put some silicon.

 

[DKneble]

o ok...I thought there was a ledge or lip or something between the oil pan flange and the rear main seal case. Like a thin piece of sheet metal that is sandwhiched between the two? Could be mistaken, it was 2am when I was lookin at it.

I am planning on dropping the oil pan and replacing that gasket when im done with putting the trans on but I couldnt last nite ### I'm using the "rest the oil pan on a block of wood on a jack" method to support the motor. Guessing that then I can take care of any possible leak points by the rear main-oil pan seal? Thanks for the quick response.

Dave

 

[dsmmatt28]

Im not sure why you need a rest on the oil pan. I have taken my tranny out more times than i can count and i only undo the mount that sits on top of the tranny and that thats it i leave all the other ones. Then just slide the tranny out a bit and drop it. i guess what ever you have to do to make it easier for yourself. Oil pan gasket. From the factory mitsu eclipse did not come with a gasket. Just silicon FYI. I have put a gasket on one of my builds cause i had bought a engine gasket kit it was in there so i used it. I was fightting oil leaks with it. I took it off and went back to silicon. Be sure to put a dap of silicon on the bolts that hold the oil pan up. That way they dont back out on you. Also dont over tighten them cause you will bend the oil pan rim and it wont sit flush against the block. Put the smallest bolt right under the timing belt if you put the long one one of the regulars and your not paying attention it will rub against the belt and break it bending your valves. Let me know if you need any more help.

 

[Nvisabl]

Hey,
Finished this job up at like 2am this morning and wanted to make sure I did this right because it seems I took a shortcut or otherwise was just too easy.

Replaced rear main since I was replacing the flywheel anyway. I took off the five bolts holding the seal case to the engine and two holding the oil pan to the case. Then I carefully pried it off the motor. Scraped off old gasket stuff, replaced rear main, applied grey permatex and new gasket, slid on new rear main in the case and tapped in place. Reattached the seven bolts.

The haynes manual, now that I found it, says the oil pan needs to be dropped. I did not do this but I thought everything went fine. Did I miss something or was I just lucky to get if off without removing the pan? Thanks...sleep deprived motivated work leads to doubts and causes more sleep deprivation

Dave

As long as you didn't forget the oil separator you should be fine. We have done a few that way with good luck.

DJ

 

[DKneble]

thanks again for the quick response. I was going by the fvaq for the tranny swap which recommends yanking off three of the four motor mounts and supporting the motor. Last time I had this trans, clutch, flywheel off was when the whole motor was out of the car so I thought I'd follow someone else's instructions.

Thanks for the heads up about the oil pan seal...I was planning on ordering the one from SBR, didn't realize it was just RTV from the factory. Not sure which I will end up using thou, I have been fighting oil leak problems from the pan since I swapped this motor in everytime I run over 25psi of boost. Probably figure it out once i drop the pan and yea I knew about using the shortest bolt under the timing belt...been there already...long story.

Dave

 

[DKneble]

DJ- Oil seperator? huh I'm not familiar with all this fancy terminology

 

[Nvisabl]

DJ- Oil seperator? huh I'm not familiar with all this fancy terminology

1g 6 bolt has a metal ring between the seal page 11-133 in a 91 eclipse service manual picture #9 oil separator the order of assembly to the motor is oil separator, rear main seal , oil seal case. It helps keep oil pressure off the seal directly.

Good luck
DJ

 

[DKneble]

i dont have the service manual or a way to get one today...just using the haynes and the girlfiend has the daily driver the rest of the day. Can anyone post a pic of this? I tried searching online but came up empty handed. I don't remeber seeing any metal ring around the crank journal...I put everything that I yanked off back on but now I'm worried. I never had any problems with slipping clutches, only replaced the rear main since it was accessible but now I'm worried the company that built my bottom end skimped on me. Thanks

Dave

 

[Nvisabl]

i dont have the service manual or a way to get one today...just using the haynes and the girlfiend has the daily driver the rest of the day. Can anyone post a pic of this? I tried searching online but came up empty handed. I don't remeber seeing any metal ring around the crank journal...I put everything that I yanked off back on but now I'm worried. I never had any problems with slipping clutches, only replaced the rear main since it was accessible but now I'm worried the company that built my bottom end skimped on me. Thanks

Dave

I suppose I should have said most shops don't re-use them however if it is there we use it

DJ

 

[DKneble]

DJ- Gotcha, well I guess thats good enough for me to continue with the reassembly...if I have any problems with oil getting past the rear main at least I'll know exactly what to order first. Otherwise, since I have been fine for a year now without it I'll stick to the "if it aint broke don't fix it" priniciple. Thanks for your quick responses...now to get that shep trans in there...

 

[Spoolin98]

Im not sure why you need a rest on the oil pan. I have taken my tranny out more times than i can count and i only undo the mount that sits on top of the tranny and that thats it i leave all the other ones. Then just slide the tranny out a bit and drop it. i guess what ever you have to do to make it easier for yourself. Oil pan gasket. From the factory mitsu eclipse did not come with a gasket. Just silicon FYI. I have put a gasket on one of my builds cause i had bought a engine gasket kit it was in there so i used it. I was fightting oil leaks with it. I took it off and went back to silicon. Be sure to put a dap of silicon on the bolts that hold the oil pan up. That way they dont back out on you. Also dont over tighten them cause you will bend the oil pan rim and it wont sit flush against the block. Put the smallest bolt right under the timing belt if you put the long one one of the regulars and your not paying attention it will rub against the belt and break it bending your valves. Let me know if you need any more help.

You have a 1g, you only have 1 mount on your transmission, thats why you only remove one and leave the rest while pulling the tranny.

Us 2g guys have 3 mounts on our transmission, so to pull the tranny, obviously your only going to have one mount holding the motor in, thats why he supported the motor under the oil pan.

 

[Spoolin98]

DJ- Gotcha, well I guess thats good enough for me to continue with the reassembly...if I have any problems with oil getting past the rear main at least I'll know exactly what to order first. Otherwise, since I have been fine for a year now without it I'll stick to the "if it aint broke don't fix it" priniciple. Thanks for your quick responses...now to get that shep trans in there...

Do you have a 6 bolt in your car? If not, that would explain why you didnt see an oil seperator. Someone correct me if Im wrong, but Im pretty sure the 7 bolts dont have an oil seperator.

I just read your profile, I guess you do have a 6 bolt. Which means you should have an oil seperator, whichout it, your going to leak oil out of the bellhousing. Atleast thats what happened to me when I installed my rear main seal without the oil seperator

 

[DKneble]

spoolin98- absolutely correct, 1g 6 bolt motor with 2g trans and hence the three mounts that have to be yanked. thank you for the input on the rear main...i already have the new clutch, flywheel and all reinstalled so I made a call to Showdown Motorsports (built my block for me) and asked them about it. They said:

They don't use them in their motors at all, including their shop car, customer cars or personal cars and have no problems with leaking rear mains in over five years.

Since they made the motor maybe they know something I don't. I'm gonna leave it out for now and hope I don't run into any issues down the road but I think I'll be fine.

Btw, your from a-town? you go out to sheetz alot? I'm from there too originally...just go to school in florida.

Dave

 

[Spoolin98]

spoolin98- absolutely correct, 1g 6 bolt motor with 2g trans and hence the three mounts that have to be yanked. thank you for the input on the rear main...i already have the new clutch, flywheel and all reinstalled so I made a call to Showdown Motorsports (built my block for me) and asked them about it. They said:

They don't use them in their motors at all, including their shop car, customer cars or personal cars and have no problems with leaking rear mains in over five years.

Since they made the motor maybe they know something I don't. I'm gonna leave it out for now and hope I don't run into any issues down the road but I think I'll be fine.

Btw, your from a-town? you go out to sheetz alot? I'm from there too originally...just go to school in florida.

Dave

Dave
Im not sure if your rear main seal will leak or not, but mine sure did without the oil seperator.
Yeah Im from allentown, born and raised
Yeah I been to sheetz a few times, not since my car has been running though.
What school do you go to in florida? I went to PSU, but florida sounds real good right about now with all this snow.