If I loosen up all the bearing caps on the crank, can I turn the crankshaft by hand to try and take some pressure off the rear main seal or should I tighten the caps back up before moving the crankshaft at all? Just don't want to grenade this engine and it is making me pull what little hair I have out.

 

You'll be fine to turn the crankshaft with the caps loosened. When retorquing the caps, I'd spin the crank after the first sequence through the bolt pattern, but it's probably not necessary...

 

obviously the engine is still installed? you can loosen the caps all the way off but the crank will be held in place by the front crank seal, the timing chain and the torque converter or pilot bearing if stick. you might get an 1/8 drop or clearance of the crank but don't know if that will help you remove the upper half of rms. You might remove all the caps except the front most which you will slowly loosen last just to see how muck drop you get but you don't want to damage the timing cover seal . Turning the crank probably wont offer much help, you can turn it by hand by just removing the spark plugs. A thick piece of wire with the ends cut flush, just smaller than the dia of the seal, will help you push the seal out of its mounting channel. It will be rigid but flexible to follow the curve.

 

I appreciate the insight! This is such a mother of a job..the bottom seal had so much RTV that I had to beat it out of the channel. Wish I was able to do that with the top! I was about to button the engine back up and just hope for the best but will give the wire trick a try!

 

go back to your RMS post, on the first picture.....what is the little square tab sticking out dead bottom(top) aft of the slinger/ flange..I dont remember that on mine

 

I honestly have no idea either. The blue piece wedged in the crank is the oil pan gasket which was probably the leak to begin with. 🙄