Rear main seal - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

spina74 · 10-30-2009, 11:26 PM

I recently got a horrible oil leak, oddly when the cars on a slant the oil spot is quite big but on flat ground it is just a little spot

I'm guessing its from my rear main seal. I'm checking it this weekend. But assuming it is about how long doest it take to replace that on a M6 LT1 fbody...ill be using a lift, so I'm just wondering what im in for.

S.J.SLEEPER · 10-31-2009, 08:48 AM

if you are experienced with pulling trannys out than you have about a 3hr. job to do.

buy/use a OE GM seal only ! and use old seal & mallet to beat new seal in.

also always good to stake the seal after install to prevent spinning/or pushing out if under boost

Pampered-Z · 10-31-2009, 09:10 AM

Not hard, just a PITA. You have to pull the trans and clutch out so that is the hard part of the job. But before you do that just double check the leak isn't coming from the back of the intake or oil pressure sending unit, Could be the oil is puddling up top and just running down more when on an angle. Even a valve cover gasket could trail oil down along the side of the block. I'd first try check all the pan bolts too. Clean everything up well and then look for an oil trail.

spina74 · 10-31-2009, 02:58 PM

it looks like its coming from the oil pan gasket by the RMS because its dripping right from there, there is no run off from the seal itself

spina74 · 11-10-2009, 08:44 PM

Well I found the source of my oil leak...I know I might get bashed for the stupidity of the leak and I already got laughed at by my friends, but my oil pan had a nice gap in it between the pan and rear main seal housing. The old gasket I had pulled off from when I rebuilt my engine had the rings in the bolt holes that prevent you from over torqueing the oil pan. Well the rings that slip over the studs on the RMS housing separated from the gasket and stayed on the studs which i missed because they looked like they belonged there. Then I realized they weren't so that fixed my problem but I replaced the oil pan gasket and RMS since my trans was out anyway. Just a helpful hint just incase you have a oil leak only when your on an incline....

S.J.SLEEPER · 11-10-2009, 08:55 PM

ahhhh.... now you know. got to learn somehow.
glad you were able to fix it.