Rear main seal leaks

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woodchip

woodchip

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Glendale, Arizona
My rear main is leaking, not just damp, but drips on the floor. I know it's not all that difficult to change but I'd rather do this AFTER my road trip to Vegas MATS and back. Anyone have a horror story about the main seal giving out while driving? If it continues to get worse I know I'll do the right thing and change it before I go, but I'd rather be doing other things getting ready for the cruise and show.
 
id replace it before. Definitely takes a day of hard work but your going to want to replace it. Rear main seal leaked in my dads 302. Literally to let it wait for a better day. Fired up the car put it in reverse. Boom. It went just like that. You dont want to ruin your motor.
 
I have seen very few engines in my life that didn't drip a little out the back.

The question is how much does it drip? What's the oil consumption?
 
mine leaks a pint every 2-3 months. i take 80 mile round trips. im not scared. ive never had a rear seal just give out. i would think as long as you arent building major pressure inside your crankcase it will live.
 
I've never seen a Mopar main seal "just blow" either. They usually just get worse over time until your wife makes you change it because she's tired of seeing oil footprints in the entry hall!
 
Ha! all very good responses...especially the one about the wife making me change it:p. I think I was wrong about the rear main. After wiping everthing down and letting it idle for a good while...it looked more like the oil was coming from the pan bolts. Sure enough, all the pan bolts needed a little "snugging up" as well as the trans pan bolts. We drove it around town for a while and no leaks were spotted. I do see some oil running down the right-rear side of the block though. I'll check the oil sending unit today, hopeing it needs some "snugging up" too. I had myself talked into changing the seal before we left, I didn't want all that oil spread from front to back underneath. :supz:
 
Good find,...keep an eye on the pan bolts,once they're tightened, they almost always "weep",...usually sending units leak where the seam is on the unit,...clean it, and check again,...chances are you'll replace the unit,...very easy to get new.
 
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