Starfury

I set out yesterday to try to fix my timing cover and rear main seal leaks in one shot. I've got the timing cover and oil pan torn off, main girdle out of the way (yeah, yeah, but it was cheap...), rear cap removed, and I'm trying to get the damned rear main seal out. I keep whacking at a drift pin (and my fingers, and the main stud, and the bellhousing) trying to hammer the seal partway out, but all it's doing is bouncing the drift pin around. The seal hasn't even budged. I'd use a deadblow, but the only one I have is a 5lb, and there's not enough space to get it moving fast enough to do anything, assuming I could even hit the drift pin.

Is there any nifty tip, trick, or tool I can use to get this damned thing out?! All I want is for it to not leak anymore

davesanborn

One piecelate model seal or the old two piece seal?

If it's the one piece seal, there's a simple solution....

Dave

Starfury

Early two-piece, but the rubber/steel corekind, not a rope seal

davesanborn

If all else has failed (and it sounds like you're about there....), loosen your other main caps and let the crank "float" a little bit. This should take any pressure off of the rear main seal and allow you to remove it.

Because that you'll now have to ensure that ALL your main bearings are aligned.... and re-torque the mains, this is the least desireable method, but it sounds like you've run out of alternatives.

Dave

Starfury

Already did that. I had to in order to get the main girdle off. This is why I've been holding off on doing this for so long=/ I had to drop the center link too, just to get the oil pan off over the damn stud girdle.

I haven't even been able to get the seal out of the cap yet. I haven't tried that hard, but it's stuck in there pretty good. And here I thought they would just tap right out...damnit.

cprstreetmachines

Did you use the drift pin with the rubber seal ? Knock out the drift pin, clean it, put RTV in it and don't use again. Put I like use a screw driver. Put it right against the block and the seal AWAY from the crank, right on the steel core on the seal. A few taps usually force it around the crank a little. And enough to grab the other side with pliers. Hope it helps

groho

Ya, sounds like the pin might still be in place, keeping you from knocking out the seal. Once you get it out, use an old feeler gauge to help spoon feed the new seal in place to prevent it from catching on the block. Just so happens the feeler gauge, when folded in half, is the exact same size as the groove for the seal.

Starfury

Are you talking about the locator pin? That was removeda long time ago, before I even got to the engine. You can't really use a rubber seal with the locator pin still installed.

A drift pin issomething you use to align holes. What I'm actually using is a small punch, but it doubles as a drift pin, so that's what I called it:P

The problem is that I can't get the damned seal to budge.The punch just bounces off the steel core on the seal.

Starfury

Got it. Ended up being an issue of 'force applied' I found some bigger jack stands and raised the front end another 6", enough to get a really good swing on the hammer. A couple swings and it popped right out