I was wondering if anyone that's done a rear main seal themselves has any advice. The car is a '96 sedan non turbo with 114k miles. I've replaced the entirepcv system hoping pressure was causing the leak, so I'm down to the fact the rear main seal needs replacing. I've bought both front and rear main seals and all 4 cam oil seals as well as new seals for oil pump, and a new timing belt. It's only the rear main that is leaking right now and the lifters don't make any noise, but reading posts here, these all sounded like good things to do if I have to pull the motor/tansaxle. I've actually purchased a 2 ton engine hoist from sam's club ($175) and I have all the usual mechanic tools. Now I've been reading the haynes manual and it doesn't sound like much more work to pull the motor and transaxle as a unit from above, than to disconect the transaxle from underneath and slide it out under the car. All I have available to lift the car is ramps or jack stands, not even sure the tansaxle would slide out if I can't get the car high enough. It also seems like it would be easier to do the other work with the motor out. Any suggestions? or maybe something from experience that the haynes manual forgets to mention? As you can probably tell I'm leaning heavily towards pulling them as a unit from the top.

 

Some will pull the motor and others will drop the subframe out of the car on 4 jack stands then seperate.

 

I did the same thing on my car. Just pull the engine and tranny out from the top!I would remove the intake manifoldfirst, to get to the wiring uderneath it.After eng and trans removed, a lot easier to do all the seals. Don't forget the trans seal if it is an automatic.
93' GLT

 

If you had to do the rear main seal only, then it's a bit of a wash one way or the other. Given you are doing other engine work (seals, timing belt), that work will be much faster with the engine on the floor rather than in the car.

To save disconnecting all the electrical components, disconnect the engine harness from the engine computer box, and lay the entire harness up over top of the engine. The A/C compressor can be removed and left in the engine bay to avoid opening that system. The engine/tranny comes out quite easily, just rig it tranny side low, and it'll come out no problem. Take your time when lifting it out, and watch that you don't snag the brake lines/master/ABS assembly.

 

+1 to Renns. I did the same with mine and did all the seals leaking but do the auto tranny seal too. I did not do mine and where I had it out for 6 months I think it dried out. Needless to say, my RMS leak is gone but now I am going to have to pull the tranny and do the input seal I think. Get all that you can while you are in there. Not hard to put the AC and PS pump to the side and lift the whole assembly out. label all the hoses real well and have some extra vacuum line on hand to replace those brittle ones.

 

Robrike has posted the best procedures on this job, with pics. With the engine out, it is also a good time to do the timing belt & its pulleys & tensioner, PCV components, etc...


JPN