I have had a rear main seal leak for some time now but now it is leaking more profusely. I guess I will have to get it fixed. Anyone have one repaired by a mechanic? What was the fee?

I think I also have another leak coming from either the Master Brake Cylinder resevoir or from the rack and pinion steering shaft. Anyone have a leak in this general area? If so, what were the costs involved to fix it?

 

Ream main seal will probably be costly as they have to drop the tranny to do so. I'd estimate about 3-4hrs of labor, the rear main seal I believe is in the ~$40 range.

where is the 2nd leak coming from?
Have you looked at the fluid to determine what kind it is?
have you seen the area that is producing the leak?

If you master cylinder was leaking, Its a ~$60+ part, the labor would probably be 2-3hrs, plus refilling it with brake fluid, and a bleed would be best also.

Rack and pinion... not too sure, if its fixable it will depend on what parts are needed and labor, if its not, they'll price out replacing the whole rack and labor. The rack itself could be gotten for ~$170+ but the labor would be about 3hrs+

 

i had to replace my rear main seal 2 years ago. just for kicks when i was at the dealer i asked what they'd charge and they said anywhere from $800-$1200.

not only do they have to drop the tranny but they have to remove the oil pan which involves removing the engine crossmember, a/c compressor, and some other things. you'll also need to pay for the mechanic to replace that seal at the same time.

if your car is a 5sp it's probably a good idea to replace the clutch while everything is apart. spend the extra money now to get the clutch done so that you're not paying for the same labor to remove the tranny later on.

with that said i cringed at the dealer quote, felt sorry that some people actually pay to have that done, went home and did it myself. it wasn't easy with a car that was 8 years old in new england, but i got the clutch, rear main, and oil pan gasket done for only a few hundred bucks and a few hours (a weekend) of work. regular mechanic may not charge as much as the stealer though.

fwiw....

 

What might or might not need to be removed will depend on the person/shop doing the work and their comfort level with working on the car.

If I were going it, a Rear main seal job, I dont need to drop the oil pan, or even touch the A/C. If you are a 5spd and its been a while or you dont even know when you clutch was changed, I'd say go ahead and get it changed while your in there.

You could do it yourself, as long as you have the right tools its not really that hard of a job.

remove battery
remove intake
remove starter
remove slave cylinder (if 5spd)
unbolt tranny mount
support engine
remove cross member
drain tranny
disconnect linkage
unbolt tranny and remove
remove pressure place
remove clutch
remove flywheel
unbolt rear main seal (3 10xx bolts)
clean area of put on new Rear main seal.
seal up with RTV sealant (put a GOOD amount)
reverse of install.

if its your first time, I'd say it would take about 5hrs start to finish with a 45min break in there somewhere.

 

Where would you recommend buyng the seal/kit?

I have a transmission problem my self. The reverse on my tranny only engages imediatly after you start the car or come to a complete stop after driving for a while. Any other time you try to select the Reverse the RPM goes up slightly but other than that nothing happens, even if you try to accelerate. I presume I will need the entire Tranny Rebuild Kit but I am not sure at the moment.

 

Buy the rear main seal from the daelership.
Buy RTV sealant from local auto store. High temp RTV sealant (it will be black), use generous amounts.

as for your tranny if you can rebuilt it, get the parts from the dealer, if you cant now would be a good time to replace it while you do the rear main seal, if you take it to a shop they cant charge you for putting a new tranny on if they are charging you for a rear main seal job. Just tell them you want your rear main seal changed, then after you've gotten a price, tell them you want them to install a different tranny.

 

when i did mine i tried to do it without removing the oil pan, but i realized that i couldn't get the new seal in there properly with the pan on. i actually ruined one seal trying to get it in without taking the pan off. the reason is, at least on the seal that i got, there is a lip on the seal that means it can only be put in by dropping the pan.

you don't need to take off the whole pan to get the seal on, you only need to drop the back end of it about 1/2-3/4", but then you're faced with the challenge of trying to replace the oil pan seal with it still most of the way on the car. that's why the oil pan needed to come off, to properly clean the surfaces and apply a good amount of sealant. the a/c compressor is either attached to the oil pan or it obstructs some of the bolts required to get it off, i can't remember which. all i remember is that it had to come off.. i didn't have to disconnect it from the lines, just unbolt it and the bracket.

maybe it's possible to do it without dropping the pan, but from what i saw with the seal, what i read in the haynes manual, and what the dealer told me it looked necessary. anyone else that's done it may have a different experience. if it's possible to do it without dropping the oil pan i'd love to know.

 

I know the dealer was ready to charge me like 600 bucks for the rear main seal

 

i havent read the entire thread because im on my phone, i just wanted to mention that its not just the seal you replace its the retainer in which the seal is. i replaced the seal and my clutch at the same time to save money in the long run, that came out to 400 for everything. i would change the clutch while your there even if you dont need to like myself. as for the other leak if its the rack and its slightly leaking leave it, it pretty expensive because theres no point in fixing it, just get a new rack.