Hey guys. Working on 1996 XJ.

Been trying to pop the new upper rear main seal in and have ripped two of them in the process. They get about 3/4 of the way in and then I have to apply so much force that the rubber bunches up at the entrance point and then eventually rips the top of the seal on the sharp right angle of the engine block. I’ve broke two generic no-brand ones from eBay but have just ordered two Fel-Pro seals to give it another couple of tries.

I already loosened three of the bearing caps behind the rear main and lubed the hell out of the seal with oil and dish soap for second attempt but no luck. Would it make any difference that the front end is up on jacks? Would lowering it help? Also would I be able to use the lower half seal with the wings cut off if I do mess up these next two?

Any advice would be appreciated as each seal is about $80AUD and I don’t wanna mess up these two as well.

Thanks!

 

$80?;

Assuming all of the old seal is out of there ( try running something flexible and kind to crank journals through there, copper wire.maybe , to make sure) based on what you're doing I'd assume the problem is the junk seals you have been trying to use.
Bad place to try to save $

 

Being a Jeep owner in Aussie and NZ is not cheap, in NZD it cost me about $90 only to kill two Fel-pro seals shipped from RockAuto.

In the same boat as you on the evil '96, lowered all my bearing caps, dish soap, etc etc. and still killed them. My only success on one attempt was to manually turn the crank while pushing in, use a 4mm pin punch (very carefully) and hope it helps. Huge risk, but I've seen it done - very very very carefully take the smallest file humanly possible to that sharp edge.

 

X2 on rotating it in with the crank.

 

Interesting thread. When I reviewed the how-tos on RMS replacement, it sounded like the job usually goes ok. Apparently it can be problematic to get that upper seal installed.

 

Sadly, i have never tried rms with engine installed. Ive done bearings. Is it possible to try from other side? Can you push a plastic coffee stirrer or small straw all the way through? Have you tried refrigerating or slightly freezing the seal to make it slightly more rigid ( i have not tried this just a possiblity) push with a small wooden coffee stirrer from the deli...rigid enough but flexible and will not scratch...did my bearings with them. Do your new seals have EXACTLY same profile as the removed one?

 

Taking out that oil pan with the engine in and the steering hooked up is defiinitely the most swearing I've ever done. This last round the whole front end was out so easy peasy.

The fel-pro actually comes with a feeder plastic piece to get it started but beyond that it doesn't do a heck of a lot. Good idea on the coffee stirrer.

 

Are you putting it in in the correct orientation? (Lip of the seal facing the front of the engine.)

I've read that letting the seal soak overnight in oil, and loosening (NOT removing, just loosening to finger-tight) all of the bearing journals, make it much easier.

I've done this 3 times on my 1990, and it still leaks, but, I never had the issues you are having. The Fel-Pro seals have a metal wire inside of the seal, it's pretty sturdy/thick. That is what you'll push on when you push the upper seal through the channel.

Run a pipe cleaner through it though just to make sure that there isn't something stuck up there?