Rear main seal replacement on a 200ci

[aahsac]

I bought the Ford 1969 Car Shop Manual Volumes 1-5 on CD. The first thing I wanted to do is see how ford says to replace the rear main seal with the engine in the car. The shop manual specifically says the upper seal can not be replaced with the crankshaft in the car.

It was too long ago for me to remember the details but I replaced the upper and lower seal on a Dodge 318 from underneath, in the cold, in the wet, so I could get to work.

Anyway, has anyone replaced upper and lowere from underneatch the car that would offer any tips?

Thanks
Stephen

 

[matt1967]

200's stock, have a rope seal, you could use the chineese finger trap thing to replace it, but newer neoprene seals, you have to pull crank

 

[fordconvert]

If you can drop the pan and the rear cap you should be able to do it in the car. Getting the old one out could be a problem but on the 3 motors I have had apart recently the came out fairly easy. The new one I got in a Fel Pro kit was a 2 part rubber thing that slid in real easy.

 

[LameHoof65]

When I replaced mine, I had it out of the car, but it was easy enough that I don't see any reason you can't do it with the engine in the car. You would pull the pan and the rubber half of the seal. Then, if you can get a pair of needle nose pliers on the old rope seal, slide it out while allowing the rope to follow it's curve through the crank....so as not to break it off. When putting the new rope seal in....oil it and slip it into the slot and thread it following the curve just as you took the old one out. When you get it within a quarter of an inch or so from being completely in, you may have to use a needle punch to drive it the rest of the way in....but do so gently. If it is done right without binding you will see the other end come to the mounting surface of the block---nice and flush. Finally replace the rubber seal and then put on a new pan gasket after you make sure the flange is clean all around the pan and the block mounting surface. Anyway that is how I did it because I didn't want to pull the crank.....I haven't cranked it yet so take this for what it's worth. My dad and I replaced a couple like this when I was a kid and I don't remember having a leak.

 

[Mac]

the rear main cap. It is there to puncture and help hold the 'rope' style seal in, but I had to flatten it in order to get the replacement neoprene seal to fit. Just a heads up in case yours has one as well.

 

[rickwrench]

If your old rope seal comes out is in pieces, use a piece of thick -copper- wire to clean the rest out of the groove. The "correct" way to install a new rope seal (if you have no other choice) is to hook/pierce the end of the seal with a piece of -copper- wire, grease it up the seal, thread the wire through first, and then use it to pull the seal into place. Snip the copper wire loose and poke as much of the protruding seal up into the groove as you can, trim off the rest.
I'd use a rubber seal though.
Rick(wrench)

 

[Anonymous]

Did mine in the driveway. I am a mechanical noob but I took my time and it came pretty easy. I dropped the pan and put the neoprene seal in that I got from NPD. I dropped the pan pulled the cap for the rear main and used a punch to work the top seal out and the new one slipped right in. The bottom seal lays right into the groove in the rear main cap. Bolt it back up with your torq wrench and away you go.

Darrell

 

[aahsac]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I plan to replace the bearings, oil pump, front cover seal and rear main seal. I'll post up my experience after it is complete, unless I post for help during.
Thanks again,
Stephen

 

[addo]

Some books and people suggest an offset to the rear main seal if using the rubber 2-piece type. About 1/32" seems to be the ticket, and a tiny dab of RTV sealant on the mating faces.

 

[kirkallen143]

When I went to replace mine, unfortunately it did not come out so well. The original rope seal came out in pieces and I could not get all of it out to save my life. This is with the engine still in the bronco. I even tried using a brass rod to tap from one side to the other, and that's with the main cap off and the others loose. I even bought a seal removal kit with all of the "fancy" removal tools (like the chinese finger trap and others) and had no luck. Some of them can be bastards and hopefully yours comes out easy.
So all in all, because of that one pesky rear seal, I now have a new fresh rebuilt motor and it is turbocharged. It started that I just wanted it to stop leaking oil...see what these things can lead to...BEWARE. I went from a $35 pricetag to a $3,500 one, real quick.

Kirk