rear main seal help

[plumber]

I have my tranny out and was wondering if I could get some advice on removal and install of the rear main seal and carrier gasket,tool's,****,sealer,etc. Thank's Plumber

 

[itwonder]

I removed the carrier, cleaned up the mating surfaces and re-installed it with a new gasket, torquing the bolts to spec. I used no sealer. I lubricated the lips of the main seal with grease, pushed it into place, and tapped it home taking care to keep it even. I used the OEM seal from Ford.

 

[gmorrell]

You can just replace the rear crank seal and leave the carrier plate alone. If there are no oil leaks around the edges of the carrier plate and where it interfaces with the oil pan, you may just want to leave well enough alone.

If you remove the carrier plate, you must drop the oil pan and re-seal the oil pan lip seal below the carrier plate, or you will have an oil leak there in short order. The oil pan lip seals take a compression set after being installed for awhile, so if you drop the pan, replacing them with new seals is strongly advised.

 

[Eric VerValin]

Also.. keep the old seal, flip it over and tap against the old seal when your "seating" the new one. Helps keep ya from damaging the new one with your Ford tool. (Hammer)

 

[itwonder]

If you remove the carrier plate, you must drop the oil pan and re-seal the oil pan lip seal below the carrier plate, or you will have an oil leak there in short order.

I don't think that's correct. But don't take my word, check out the clutch video.

 

[silverbullet92]

Any special way of removing the rear main seal or can I get a pick in there and "rip" it out?

 

[rubydist]

the rear main presses in from the "inside" of the carrier, so I see no way to change it w/o removing the carrier. Once that is off, you can tap the seal out w/ hammer and punch.

 

[silverbullet92]

I have the tranny, clutch, and flywheel off and I have access to the rear main seal. With the punch and hammer one could get at it from the outside portion of the seal and tap it out? I just want to make sure I do this right. Thank you

 

[rubydist]

yes, that is what I have always done.

 

[itwonder]

You can punch a hole in it with a pick or you can drill a small hole in it, then thread in a screw, and yank it out. Just be careful of the very expensive mating surfaces adjacent. Grease the lips and perimeter of the new seal. Tap it in gradually using a ball peen hammer; working around it's perimeter. Don't hit the crank. There is no need to remove the carrier; the Ford seal installs from the clutch side of the carrier....Maybe some aftermarket seals are different.

 

[silverbullet92]

The mating surfaces such as the crank and oil pan surrounding it?

 

[itwonder]

The mating surfaces such as the crank and oil pan surrounding it?

affirmative

 

[silverbullet92]

Thank you sir!

 

[zak]

the rear main presses in from the "inside" of the carrier, so I see no way to change it w/o removing the carrier. Once that is off, you can tap the seal out w/ hammer and punch.

Did this change year to year? On my 95, if Irecall correctly I just carefully drilled a hole in the rear main, put in a small diameter deck screw, and yanked it out without touching the carrier/carrier gasket.

Fred H. who changed many of these told me that replacing the carrier gasket risked a leak. He would routinely R&R the rear main without

 

[rubydist]

well, I do have more and more senior moments, so its possible that I have it wrong... afaik, the rear seal housings were all the same. I would have sworn that you took it out from the "inside" but perhaps that is not the case...

I have always replaced the carrier gasket because I removed the housing, and I have never had a leak problem, but that doesn't mean the next one won't leak...