View Poll Results: Have you replaced your Rear Main Seal?
Yes
22
17.19%
No, and no leaks
50
39.06%
No, but i need to
35
27.34%
What's a Rear Main Seal?
21
16.41%
Voters: 128. You may not vote on this poll
Have you replaced your Rear Main Seal?
heh heh - more preparation!
I can't help you with this - but should be good info to know - subscribed.
Good luck btw. You are taking on a bunch of things... if you have that many leaks, did you consider just putting in a new VQ3X?
I can't help you with this - but should be good info to know - subscribed.
Good luck btw. You are taking on a bunch of things... if you have that many leaks, did you consider just putting in a new VQ3X?
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by njmodi
heh heh - more preparation!
I can't help you with this - but should be good info to know - subscribed.
Good luck btw. You are taking on a bunch of things... if you have that many leaks, did you consider just putting in a new VQ3X?
I can't help you with this - but should be good info to know - subscribed.
Good luck btw. You are taking on a bunch of things... if you have that many leaks, did you consider just putting in a new VQ3X?
btw, im not 100% sure it its my RMS, apparently a mechanic told me it was actually my upper oil pan leaking down in that area (appearing to be my RMS) so im not sure yet...
I just did this on mine yesterday. Mine has been leaking for a couple of years and finally got worse to the point where it was soaking my clutch and making it slip badly. So I did that with the clutch change. The work isn't easy if you don't have a lift and air tools. My buddy and I took everything off and pulled the tranny out in less than an hour in his transmission shop. The rear main seal is inside.
The following are things you need to remove before you get to it:
1) remove air intake assembly
2) remove car battery
3) remove engine mount on the transmission
4) unplug electrical connections
5) disconnect slave cylinder
6) remove front wheels
7) disconnect lower control arm
8) disconnect tie rod
9) pull out both driverside and passenger side axles
10) remove all bolts holding the tranny to the engine and pull it out
11) remove clutch cover and clutch disc
12) remove flywheel and you will see the rear main seal retainer (see pic below)
You will need two things, the retainer "O" assembly and the dust seal (depicted by the red arrow). The dust seal on mine had cracks all over it, that's where the oil was seeping thru. The rubber "O" seal is still in good condition but I replaced it anyway since I'm already in there:
I figured that the estimated time on this if you choose to have a shop do it is around 2-3 hours. That's R & R time and that's if they take their time.
Good luck.
The following are things you need to remove before you get to it:
1) remove air intake assembly
2) remove car battery
3) remove engine mount on the transmission
4) unplug electrical connections
5) disconnect slave cylinder
6) remove front wheels
7) disconnect lower control arm
8) disconnect tie rod
9) pull out both driverside and passenger side axles
10) remove all bolts holding the tranny to the engine and pull it out
11) remove clutch cover and clutch disc
12) remove flywheel and you will see the rear main seal retainer (see pic below)
You will need two things, the retainer "O" assembly and the dust seal (depicted by the red arrow). The dust seal on mine had cracks all over it, that's where the oil was seeping thru. The rubber "O" seal is still in good condition but I replaced it anyway since I'm already in there:
I figured that the estimated time on this if you choose to have a shop do it is around 2-3 hours. That's R & R time and that's if they take their time.
Good luck.
Mine was leaking just a little bit so when i changed my clutch I decided to change the seal. It ended up leaking a lot worse because I didnt not notice the retainer seal not being flush around the crank so it ended up getting ripped. I did it again and it seems to be leaking a little still. I am sure the retainer seal is perfectly around the crank but I think I screwed up with the dust seal. Is the dust seal a part I can buy from Nissan, because I filled it in with black RTV and gave it time to set. When I did the seal the second time it seemed like the RTV made a nice seal so the oil would not leak but its was hard to tell when it was already leaking from the retainer seal. If anyone can help me out with this, that would be great. Thanks.
Yes you can get the dust seal separately, they actually come separately (not included with seal retainer). I used a feeler gauge, the finest one, to check if I have a gap behind the retainer. The rule of thumb is to ensure that the retainer sits flush with the engine block. I also applied black RTV around the entire retainer to make a good seal with the crank, including the dust seal area. I let mine dry overnight before putting everything back together. Also when you get your new dust seal, put a thin coat of grease on the edge of it that has contact with the engine block. This will enable that thick seal to slide easily into place ensuring a proper seat. Also, we used a seal driver. It's a special tool that has a round end, which is the same diameter as the retainer "O". Then you can use a mallet and hit the other end of it, this will drive the retainer evenly towards the engine block. Do not hit the retainer directly with the hammer. That stuff is aluminum and can easily get damaged. Hope this helps.
Originally Posted by JeEvE
Mine was leaking just a little bit so when i changed my clutch I decided to change the seal. It ended up leaking a lot worse because I didnt not notice the retainer seal not being flush around the crank so it ended up getting ripped. I did it again and it seems to be leaking a little still. I am sure the retainer seal is perfectly around the crank but I think I screwed up with the dust seal. Is the dust seal a part I can buy from Nissan, because I filled it in with black RTV and gave it time to set. When I did the seal the second time it seemed like the RTV made a nice seal so the oil would not leak but its was hard to tell when it was already leaking from the retainer seal. If anyone can help me out with this, that would be great. Thanks.
That helps a lot, thanks DR-Max. I ended up making the entire Dust Seal with RTV. When you said you put RTV around the entire retainer to make a good seal with the crank, did you mean the brown round seal in which the crank spins in? Also, where can I find that special tool you used. I tried my best to put the seal on evenly and then i used a paper clip to make sure that the brown seal around the crank was flush.
Originally Posted by DR-Max
I just did this on mine yesterday. Mine has been leaking for a couple of years and finally got worse to the point where it was soaking my clutch and making it slip badly. So I did that with the clutch change. The work isn't easy if you don't have a lift and air tools. My buddy and I took everything off and pulled the tranny out in less than an hour in his transmission shop. The rear main seal is inside.
The following are things you need to remove before you get to it:
1) remove air intake assembly
2) remove car battery
3) remove engine mount on the transmission
4) unplug electrical connections
5) disconnect slave cylinder
6) remove front wheels
7) disconnect lower control arm
8) disconnect tie rod
9) pull out both driverside and passenger side axles
10) remove all bolts holding the tranny to the engine and pull it out
11) remove clutch cover and clutch disc
12) remove flywheel and you will see the rear main seal retainer (see pic below)
You will need two things, the retainer "O" assembly and the dust seal (depicted by the red arrow). The dust seal on mine had cracks all over it, that's where the oil was seeping thru. The rubber "O" seal is still in good condition but I replaced it anyway since I'm already in there:
[img]http://img86.echo.cx/img86/8651/rear-seal.gif[img]
I figured that the estimated time on this if you choose to have a shop do it is around 2-3 hours. That's R & R time and that's if they take their time.
Good luck.
The following are things you need to remove before you get to it:
1) remove air intake assembly
2) remove car battery
3) remove engine mount on the transmission
4) unplug electrical connections
5) disconnect slave cylinder
6) remove front wheels
7) disconnect lower control arm
8) disconnect tie rod
9) pull out both driverside and passenger side axles
10) remove all bolts holding the tranny to the engine and pull it out
11) remove clutch cover and clutch disc
12) remove flywheel and you will see the rear main seal retainer (see pic below)
You will need two things, the retainer "O" assembly and the dust seal (depicted by the red arrow). The dust seal on mine had cracks all over it, that's where the oil was seeping thru. The rubber "O" seal is still in good condition but I replaced it anyway since I'm already in there:
[img]http://img86.echo.cx/img86/8651/rear-seal.gif[img]
I figured that the estimated time on this if you choose to have a shop do it is around 2-3 hours. That's R & R time and that's if they take their time.
Good luck.
But in my experience it's easier to just seperate the steering knuckle from the strut than disconnect the control arm. This is referring to #7.
The brown/redish "O" seal doesn't need the RTV. I put RTV around the retainer, the aluminum holder that actually bolts onto the block. I don't know where to get that tool, my buddy owns a transmission shop so he has all the cool gadgets. Maybe you can try Autozone, I'm not totally sure though.
Originally Posted by JeEvE
That helps a lot, thanks DR-Max. I ended up making the entire Dust Seal with RTV. When you said you put RTV around the entire retainer to make a good seal with the crank, did you mean the brown round seal in which the crank spins in? Also, where can I find that special tool you used. I tried my best to put the seal on evenly and then i used a paper clip to make sure that the brown seal around the crank was flush.
does anyone have a site where i can pick up a rear main seal i tried searching the search engine and all i could come up with is one for the vq35de.can some one help me please
thanks
thanks
Originally Posted by lock0002
does anyone have a site where i can pick up a rear main seal i tried searching the search engine and all i could come up with is one for the vq35de.can some one help me please
thanks
thanks
http://www.parts.com/partlocator/ind...99&catalogid=1
Originally Posted by JeEvE
That helps a lot, thanks DR-Max. I ended up making the entire Dust Seal with RTV. When you said you put RTV around the entire retainer to make a good seal with the crank, did you mean the brown round seal in which the crank spins in? Also, where can I find that special tool you used. I tried my best to put the seal on evenly and then i used a paper clip to make sure that the brown seal around the crank was flush.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 873
Originally Posted by eturnl
My VQ runns beautifully! even at 140k, i'd rather have mine than one than one with 80k not knowing how well it was maintained.
Im not sure what it is, oh well. I dont have to worry about it anymore since the engine is coming out. I hydrolocked it and the piston smacked the block, making a huge crack in it and all the oil leaked out.
I wonder if this was the problem when my car was burning 1L of oil every 1000km. My local dealership couldn't find the leak...there was no visible sign nor was there any smoke to indicate such a huge loss in oil. They monitored the car for a while and couldn't determine the source of the probleml. As a result I got a new motor free under the ASP 160k km warrenty.
Originally Posted by kingrukus
My local dealership couldn't find the leak...there was no visible sign nor was there any smoke to indicate such a huge loss in oil.
once you get the tranny off, what are the rest of the steps to change the rear main seal and dust seal? And what exactly is RTV? my mechanic was suggesting just to clean the oil leak real good with brake cleaner and then use high heat sylicon to create a new external seal. Is this adaquate? How much more difficult is it to just replace the rear main seal and dust seal?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Originally Posted by way2fast95
once you get the tranny off, what are the rest of the steps to change the rear main seal and dust seal? And what exactly is RTV? my mechanic was suggesting just to clean the oil leak real good with brake cleaner and then use high heat sylicon to create a new external seal. Is this adaquate? How much more difficult is it to just replace the rear main seal and dust seal?
As for the "external seal" that your mechanic suggested, I think it is time to get a new mechanic.
We are going to change the clutch while were at it, however we were wondering about the rear main seal. What are the steps involved in removing the rear main seal and replacing it, the steps in this thread end with getting to it, but not removing it and replacing. Don't you have the drop the bottom of the block to access it?
The external seal he was talking about sound similar to what some of the members posted above saying they used RTV to seal it instead of actually replacing the dust seal.
The external seal he was talking about sound similar to what some of the members posted above saying they used RTV to seal it instead of actually replacing the dust seal.
OK, my bad for dissing your mechanic. If the leak was the dust seal, then potentially you could just clean and RTV the area.
The rear main seal itself is just part of the bracket which is nudged out after the 3 bolts securing it are removed. You simply need to clean off old sealant, carefully mount the seal onto the crank after coating the edges with RTV. Getting the dust seal to sit right is one of the tricky parts. The other is making sure the rear main seal sits flush against the crank (use the end of a paper clip and go all the way around to check). Some have used RTV completely instead of the dust seal (allow sufficient time to cure before starting the car).
The rear main seal itself is just part of the bracket which is nudged out after the 3 bolts securing it are removed. You simply need to clean off old sealant, carefully mount the seal onto the crank after coating the edges with RTV. Getting the dust seal to sit right is one of the tricky parts. The other is making sure the rear main seal sits flush against the crank (use the end of a paper clip and go all the way around to check). Some have used RTV completely instead of the dust seal (allow sufficient time to cure before starting the car).
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,879
Originally Posted by kingrukus
I wonder if this was the problem when my car was burning 1L of oil every 1000km. My local dealership couldn't find the leak...there was no visible sign nor was there any smoke to indicate such a huge loss in oil. They monitored the car for a while and couldn't determine the source of the probleml. As a result I got a new motor free under the ASP 160k km warrenty.
Originally Posted by 95BLKMAX
i changed mine along with the clutch. Knock off 2 birds with one stone.
Originally Posted by 95BLKMAX
i changed mine along with the clutch. Knock off 2 birds with one stone.
-Matt
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 8
I replaced my at 140k along with clutch, master/slave cylinders, upper and lower clutch hose and drive shafts and changed tranny fluid.
I had to do the clutch but things started showing iffy, minor leak in rear main, leak or seapping (moist) fluid near the bandjo ends of both hoses and busted outer drive shaft boots with cracked dry inner boots.
Hopefully good for another 140k miles.
I had to do the clutch but things started showing iffy, minor leak in rear main, leak or seapping (moist) fluid near the bandjo ends of both hoses and busted outer drive shaft boots with cracked dry inner boots.
Hopefully good for another 140k miles.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 534
i changed my rear main seal 2 times in a month...
Dont ask, first time i was planing on just changing the clutch then when i took my flywheel to get resurfaced i noticed a small leak so i was told since i'm down here replace it. so i buy it and put it in, I really didnt do any research on how RMS are put in and what u buy with it.. so i just changed it not knowing i needed a Oil pan seal..
Anyways, after the first day of putting everything back together and driving it, i see that my car is leakin like crzy. thats when i read and saw this seal that i never put, so i dropd my tranny last weekend, and now its runing like a champ
Dont ask, first time i was planing on just changing the clutch then when i took my flywheel to get resurfaced i noticed a small leak so i was told since i'm down here replace it. so i buy it and put it in, I really didnt do any research on how RMS are put in and what u buy with it.. so i just changed it not knowing i needed a Oil pan seal..
Anyways, after the first day of putting everything back together and driving it, i see that my car is leakin like crzy. thats when i read and saw this seal that i never put, so i dropd my tranny last weekend, and now its runing like a champ
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,572
From: Middleboro/Carver, Ma
yeah this old thread is garbage.... in the 2-years it's been around I'm sure alot of people had to re-do there rms. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....&highlight=rmshttp://forums.maxima.org/showthread....&highlight=rms
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