Rear Main Seal Replacement

[davbell22602]

So this past week I been replacing my first rear main on my 97 K1500. I went to GM dealer so we could borrow the J-35621 tool that is needed to do the rear main installation. The tool costs $130 unless you get a used one for around $50 on ebay. Also replacing the oil pan gasket while everything is apart. All data is over rated. All data says to just loosen the oil pan bolts and it comes right out, wrong. The chilton online library says to loosen some of the front axle bolts to move the oil pan out of the way. Well I followed the all data removal steps for the oil pan. After I got the bolts out find out that front axle has to be out of the way enough to drop the oil pan because the oil pan wont come out and hits the front axle. Were gonna try to feed the pan gasket through the oil pan without unbolting the front axle tomorrow.

Here's pics of the oil leak

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[Swims350]

why do you need the tool? irishman just did his and used nothing other then a screwdriver and hammer. Same for me. As for the all data thing you could have got it out without removing the pan, but installing a new pan gasket is a very wise choice, and thus the pan has to drop.

 

[davbell22602]

why do you need the tool? irishman just did his and used nothing other then a screwdriver and hammer. Same for me. As for the all data thing you could have got it out without removing the pan, but installing a new pan gasket is a very wise choice, and thus the pan has to drop.

My teacher wouldnt let me do it unless I had the tool. I know it come outs without dropping the pan. I just went ahead and decided to replace the oil pan since everything was apart.

 

[Swims350]

exactly as I said, good idea on changing the gasket, without doing so it will leak.

That teacher needs to teach yall some real world mechanic stuff though incase ya can't get the tool.

 

[89Suburban]

I wanna know why you guys don't replace the oil pump while that is apart, that baffles me, I surely would for peace of mind, at least on a high mileage engine I would....

 

[Swims350]

I would and do, it aint but like $15 and if the thing goes out you're gonna be right back doing it again lol.

 

[davbell22602]

I wanna know why you guys don't replace the oil pump while that is apart, that baffles me, I surely would for peace of mind, at least on a high mileage engine I would....

I would and do, it aint but like $15 and if the thing goes out you're gonna be right back doing it again lol.

Vortec oil pumps range from $25-$55 depending on brand name and if its high volume or not.

 

[smurph20]

My only problem is what if you change it and then it goes out and now you might have changed something for no reason if the other pump was fine and now your stuck doing it again.

 

[Irishman999]

I wanna know why you guys don't replace the oil pump while that is apart, that baffles me, I surely would for peace of mind, at least on a high mileage engine I would....

Mine has good oil pressure.

Since its a used motor I dont know what kind of wear the rod bearings are showing without taking it apart. If the bearings are thinner and worn... adding oil pressure can push them into the crank at higher RPM's causing a spun bearing.

Thats why I let mine be.

 

[bucket]

exactly as I said, good idea on changing the gasket, without doing so it will leak.

That teacher needs to teach yall some real world mechanic stuff though incase ya can't get the tool.

The teacher is the tool, lol.

There's absolutely NO need for a tool to change the rear seal. Pry the old one out and carefully tap the new one in with a small hammer. No big deal.

How does your teacher say to install grease seals on the back of a brake rotor? Take it to the machine shop and have them press it in?

 

[Irishman999]

Dave, does you're teacher drive a big van full of tools to your school every day? Just kidding buddy.

If you look at the rear seal retainer it looks like they designed it so you could just insert a small screw driver and tap it in. I had mine out with absolutely no problem and it did not screw up anything.

 

[davbell22602]

The tool is for so the seal will be installed straight and not cocked eyed.

 

[Irishman999]

The tool is for so the seal will be installed straight and not cocked eyed.

That makes more sense, I had mine off when I installed the seal.

 

[HotRodPC]

My teacher wouldnt let me do it unless I had the tool. I know it come outs without dropping the pan. I just went ahead and decided to replace the oil pan since everything was apart.

That's why you are paying to damn much for that education. Or taxpayers are, whoever is footing the bill. WTF do think the rest of us do when don't go spend oodles on very rarerly used tools that you can improvise and do without. I can't wait for you to get your first customer in a shop, and you have to tell the customer, it will be 2 weeks before I can get to your #7 spark plug cuz there is a special tool part #, J-stupidfuck$ and I have to wait till my Snap on truck comes around Tuesday, then I can order the tool, and he will bring it to me the following Tuesday. Sorry Mr Customer, that's what my shop teacher taught me and I want to be sure to do it right. But yet when my shop teacher measured my cylinders on my motor to see if I needed a bore job, he didn't know it has already been bored .030 over so I was about to buy the wrong damn rings and replacement piston that I accidently broke. Are you seeing it yet Dave??? Obviously you want to learn this ****, but your instructor is about a jackass. When I teach things, IF I have the special tool, or I knonw a special tool exists and I don't have it, I will explain about the special tool being available, BUT I'll also show how I improvise and with what and how to do so. How often do you think you'll use a rear main seal too? About as often as you use a rectal thermometer !!!

 

[Irishman999]

Its true, look at how I removed the pilot bushing in my crank. I scratched my head trying to figure out how its going to come out of the crank since I had never removed one.

Option 1 is to call around to all the parts stores with 19 year old kids working the counter that dont have a ****** clue what your talking about until you possibly track one down that you have to drive across town to rent and use for about 30 seconds.

Option two was an old school trick where you pack the cavity in the back of the crank with grease and smack the clutch alignment tool into the hole and after a few minutes the bushing pops out. It was actually pretty fun to do.

Another case of this is the flywheel holder tool hotrod was making fun of me for. Its a tool made by snap-on, I used my dads alot back in the day and its a specialty tool designed for the task at hand. In my case this worked better:

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A ****** bolt and stubby wrench (regular wrench would work too). It worked better since I could use both hands on the torque wrench instead of using one to hold a handle that is holding the flywheel. The Snap-on tool is completely pointless, worse to use and WAY more expensive than a 3/8's bolt.