rear main seal wont go in
12-29-2011, 07:57 PM
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rear main seal wont go in
hey guys im in the middle of changing the rear main seal right now. i took the old one out and then lubed up the new top piece and tried sliding it in. it was being a pain and i forced it in ruining the new gasket 
. well im going to order a new gasket set now, but what did you guys do to get the top part to slide in better?? did you guys all use soap and oil to coat it first?
. well im going to order a new gasket set now, but what did you guys do to get the top part to slide in better?? did you guys all use soap and oil to coat it first?
12-29-2011, 08:17 PM
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12-29-2011, 08:18 PM
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that might help, it'll give you a little more clearance between the crank and the block
just don't forget to torque them back up when you're done or your life will become very bad very quickly
just don't forget to torque them back up when you're done or your life will become very bad very quickly
12-29-2011, 08:32 PM
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Hey Coors, I feel your pain as I just spent my Christmas vacation putting a real main seal in my 99 Cherokee. My rear seal was a two piece and there was no amount of pushing or pulling that would make the top half slip into the hole even with pretty of lubricant. I bought a highly recommended tool called a sneaky pete which lets you pull the seal through but there was no way I could get the metal clamp into the hole once it was attached to the seal. Just wouldn't fit. I broke the tool and then out of frustration ruined the seal by trying to force it in with needle nose pliers. Tore the seal on the housing.
With another new seal the trick was to push in on the outside of the seal with the tip of pliers or a punch (push towards the crankshaft) right at the point of entry while you push the tail of the seal with the other hand. It went in really easily about a quarter of an inch per push without any need to turn the crankshaft or loosen the other main caps.
With another new seal the trick was to push in on the outside of the seal with the tip of pliers or a punch (push towards the crankshaft) right at the point of entry while you push the tail of the seal with the other hand. It went in really easily about a quarter of an inch per push without any need to turn the crankshaft or loosen the other main caps.
Last edited by Rich131; 12-29-2011 at 08:36 PM. Reason: edited to add detail
12-29-2011, 08:38 PM
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With another new seal the trick was to push in on the outside of the seal with the tip of pliers or a punch (push towards the crankshaft) right at the point of entry while you push the tail of the seal with the other hand. It went in really easily about a quarter of an inch per push without any need to turn the crankshaft or loosen the other main caps.
12-29-2011, 09:02 PM
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Good luck, feel free to send me a message if you have questions. I am a novice but my mistakes are fresh on my mind. I should have put more RTV sealant on the seal like shown in this pic:
http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoRearMain.htm
Being scared of over tightening the oil pan, I just finger tightened the bolts since I don't have a torque wrench for that low of force. Oil dripped at several places around the pan the first time I drove it. I tightened the bolts a little more and only had a single drop which hopefully was residual after another drive. Your post made me go check again and, knock on wood, there was no sign of leak. My worry is that the rear of the oil pan gasket did not seat properly. I learned from another post to tie the pan gasket to the pan with dental floss tied at each bolt hole to keep it in place until you get a couple of the stud bolts in. Worked great for most of the gasket.
http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoRearMain.htm
Being scared of over tightening the oil pan, I just finger tightened the bolts since I don't have a torque wrench for that low of force. Oil dripped at several places around the pan the first time I drove it. I tightened the bolts a little more and only had a single drop which hopefully was residual after another drive. Your post made me go check again and, knock on wood, there was no sign of leak. My worry is that the rear of the oil pan gasket did not seat properly. I learned from another post to tie the pan gasket to the pan with dental floss tied at each bolt hole to keep it in place until you get a couple of the stud bolts in. Worked great for most of the gasket.
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12-29-2011, 09:58 PM
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You need to use a tool called a sneaky pete. Its basically a cable that grabs the seal on one end. You attach a handle on the other end on the cable and pull the seal through. One trick is to soak the seal in oil for a couple of hours before installing it.
12-31-2011, 04:26 AM
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Year: 1993
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[QUOTE=Rich131;1423898]Good luck, feel free to send me a message if you have questions. I am a novice but my mistakes are fresh on my mind. I should have put more RTV sealant on the seal like shown in this pic:
http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoRearMain.htm
Ohh, I dunno.. The instructions I have say to be careful 'NOT' to get any of the sealant on the bearing cap itself.. just on the ends of the seals. The reason being the sealant will change the clearance between the cap and the engine block. That means the bearing clearance too would be off by a few thousandths.. Doesn't sound like much to me, but I don't know how much 'more' clearance it would take to spin a bearing. My $0.02 paid in full
http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoRearMain.htm
Ohh, I dunno.. The instructions I have say to be careful 'NOT' to get any of the sealant on the bearing cap itself.. just on the ends of the seals. The reason being the sealant will change the clearance between the cap and the engine block. That means the bearing clearance too would be off by a few thousandths.. Doesn't sound like much to me, but I don't know how much 'more' clearance it would take to spin a bearing. My $0.02 paid in full
12-31-2011, 04:41 AM
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Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
another way is to turn the crank by the bolt in the center of the crank pully while feeding the seal in coated with oil.
