KidSheleen

94 T100, 3VZE, A/T - 233,793 Miles

Which of the evils should I choose to address a rear main seal leak?

1. Pull the engine?
2. Drop the transmission?
3. Pull the engine and transmission together (edit - added)
4. Carry a case of higher viscosity oil with me?

I have replaced the valve cover gaskets and rear cam seals. I used 3 cans of ozone depleting brake cleaner to see where the oil was coming from. The back of the heads are dry as a bone. The oil cooler shows no sign of a leak. The oil drips through that little cutout on the bell housing between the engine block and the bell housing. So, I'm assuming that the leak is coming from the rear main seal. I looked at the drips on my finger and it is clearly engine oil, not transmission fluid.


Any suggestions on how to attack this? The T100 is not a daily driver and I plan to use it only occasionally but I am also planning on some trips in the 250 - 300 mile range. Currently I feel like I will just leave it alone and then replace the seal (or truck) when I get to a point where I tell the full service gas station attendant to check the gas and fill up the oil.


Any ideas from the super knowledge folks? I can spin wrenches but all I have are jack stands and a jack. No vehicle lifts or cheap labor. I've pulled engines and transmissions in the past, but that was before ECUs / PCMs and Save The Earth emissions. Plus, I'm almost as old as dirt.


TIA - Mark

maco35

Check tour valve cover gaskets B4 replacing the rear main seal.

MudHippy

He did that already.

#1 basically requires #2(either both at the same time, or #2 first then #1). It's getting the bellhousing bolts in and out while the engine's still in there that's the hard part. #3 will probably do little if anything.

So...I dunno. You tell me. Engine and trans out as a whole, then seperate them to get to the seal? Or go through the living hell that's dropping and reinstalling the trans while the engine's still in the truck?

I'd probably do #2 because I'm a glutton for punishment.

nothingbetter

I've pulled my transmission and t-case together without moving the engine a few times. with a few long extensions and a universal socket none of my bolts are out of reach. then again I'm not working on a t100 and by a few long extensions I mean 5 feet.

KidSheleen

I didn't think about the option of pulling the engine and transmission at the same time. Silly me. So, I'll make that #3 and move the "carrying a case of oil" to #4. The truck has been sitting for 3-4 years and I was hoping that the seal just needed to expand a little. It doesn't look like that's going to happen.

redbayredneck

I just carry Lucas oil treatment with me... but I plan to replace the seal one day. For the time being, Lucas will slow the leak down a good bit.