mom'sZ Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I just got done installing a rebuild and it leaks oil. It appears to be either the rear main seal or the pan gasket. I think it's the rear main seal. The pan is an arizonaZcar pan. My engine builder wanted to know if the brain trust here on hybridZ had any advice or tricks for installing the rear main seal. It's an N42 L28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimZ Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I just got done installing a rebuild and it leaks oil. It appears to be either the rear main seal or the pan gasket. I think it's the rear main seal. The pan is an arizonaZcar pan. My engine builder wanted to know if the brain trust here on hybridZ had any advice or tricks for installing the rear main seal. It's an N42 L28 Oddly, I got a rear main seal from Nissan a while back whose ID was slightly too big for the crank and leaked like a sieve. Replaced it with a Fel-Pro and problem went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Tim: thanks for the data point, this is in fact a factory seal... and it does leak 'like a sieve'. When you installed it, did you notice it was too big? The engine builder said this one was tight going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimZ Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Tim: thanks for the data point, this is in fact a factory seal... and it does leak 'like a sieve'. When you installed it, did you notice it was too big? The engine builder said this one was tight going on. As I recall, I noticed it when I got the replacement. It was a Nissan replacement that I got from Courtesy Nissan (they gave me no hassles on returning it, btw). It was ~0.5-1mm too big, which is quite a lot. If your builder said the seal was tight, then this is probably not your problem, but I would check the next one pretty closely before buttoning it all back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Did he put assembly lube on it before installation? Maybe the lip got rolled over. I had a simaler situation on my front main, what a mess. evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Did he put assembly lube on it before installation? Maybe the lip got rolled over. I think he said he wet it with oil. Anyhow... that's what I need, folks to give some advice on how they do it. We've heard conflicting ideas on how it's suppose to be done. (installing the rear main seal that is) So... how do you do it? What has worked well for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 There is no magic to installing a rear main seal. Just lube and install. I've had the opposite experience with the stock seal, by the way. I installed a cheap aftermarket gasket set (except head gasket) when the machinist I was using assured me it would be OK. Needless to say it wasn't. The rear main was too tight or couldn't handle the heat from racing and burned up. It had probably 50 tiny pie shaped wedges that were just completely missing when I pulled it out. I installed a Nissan seal and no more problems. The Nissan seal comes with red grease on the lip. I used assy lube on the cheap Chinese model. I think oil would work as well. No mystery though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hey I did just think of one tip. I had a bitch of a time getting the old seal out and was worried about scratching the crank. Ended up screwing in a couple sheet metal screws on either side of the seal and using a slide hammer on them, and that worked quickly and easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustard-z Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Make sure you get the thin black rubber seals installed on either side of the #7 cap because if you forget those the thing will leak like a mother too! Those seals come with the rear main and are about 1/16" x 3/16" x 2" long. they seal the sides of the cap to the block. Good Luck, Aren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 OK Jon, I got my slid hammer at the ready. The engine came back out last night. mustard-z, got those little rectangular seal things coming to, my guy asked about them. Thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 Well here's a kick in the butt... after splitting the trans and engine, removing the flywheel and clutch, it appears the plug in the end of the oil galley was what was leaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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