Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
#2280945
04/02/17 03:53 PM
04/02/17 03:53 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 76 Florida
Interceptor72
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I have a recently rebuilt 440 (now a 505) that I have been driving around locally with absolutely no leaks...not even a drop. I've had it on the interstate, but only for a few miles at a time to see how it went, with no issues. Well, yesterday I took my car onto the interstate (60 to 80 mph depending on traffic) for the first real distance (only about 20 miles) and I'd say at about 10 miles my rear main seal 'totally' blew out. I say that because my interior suddenly started filling with smoke (had the windows up.) Knew it wasn't a fire because it had that burning oil smell. The leak is so bad that when you stop and look under the car, oil is pouring out almost in a stream, not just dripping out. Sort of in that in between area where you have drops coming out in such quick succession that it is just about a continuous stream, but not quite. And the back of the car was just covered in (clean) oil. Anyway, I know I have to fix it now, but of all the internet searches, I haven't seen anyone describe such thing. It seems it is usually just some drops that develop over time. So I am wondering if this is something that 'just happens some times' or if there is some particular cause of this particular scenario that should be rectified before I replace the seal. I don't want to replace the seal and have this happen all over again because I didn't address some other underlying issue that might have cause it. Thanks for all the help. YOu guys are an excellent resource to guys like me who barely know what we are doing!!!
Last edited by Interceptor72; 04/02/17 03:55 PM.
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2280953
04/02/17 04:00 PM
04/02/17 04:00 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,185 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,185
Bend,OR USA
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Last edited by Cab_Burge; 04/02/17 04:03 PM.
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2280969
04/02/17 04:38 PM
04/02/17 04:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,499 So. Burlington, Vt.
fast68plymouth
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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So. Burlington, Vt.
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I had a 446 i built on the dyno several years ago..... The rear seal leaked so bad I thought I must have put 1/2 the seal in backwards. It just ran right out....... But it started doing it right off the bat.
The seal was installed correctly, and ultimately it ended up being a distorted original seal cap that was the problem. The oil was actually leaking around the seal in the cap, not "past" the sealing lip.
As Cab said, make sure you know where it's coming from before tearing anything apart.
Do you know if your crank has the grooves in the seal surface or not?
I have seen it where the grooves are pretty aggressive and just wear the lip right off the seal.
I also had a customer built stroker on the dyno once that started leaking really bad shortly after we got the motor running. On that one, it ended up being I little chunk of the lip had gotten torn off the seal and that just created a little hole for the oil to poor out.
68 Satellite, 383 with stock 906’s, 3550lbs, 11.18@123 Dealer for Comp Cams/Indy Heads
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2280984
04/02/17 05:02 PM
04/02/17 05:02 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 6,257 gulfport, ms, west mi
rowin4
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master
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gulfport, ms, west mi
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Did you look at the top back of the block? oil sending unit or gauge pressure line leaking?
it's ok to butt heads, just don't do it with a butthead
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: rowin4]
#2280989
04/02/17 05:08 PM
04/02/17 05:08 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 76 Florida
Interceptor72
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Did you look at the top back of the block? oil sending unit or gauge pressure line leaking? Yes. Definitely not coming from sending units or valve covers. Dry as a bone at the top of the engine.
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2281359
04/03/17 07:01 AM
04/03/17 07:01 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,272 Northern Calyfornua
Sxrxrnr
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pro stock
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Posts: 1,272
Northern Calyfornua
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You might also pull the flywheel cover and fire up the engine. Then have a look about the area in question looking for where the oil may be gushing out. It is even possible that could be the pan gasket where the 2 pan bolts screw into the rear main retainer. Almost impossible to differentiate with flywheel cover in place.
As mentioned earlier, be very careful in ruling out valve cover gasket at rear of engine. They can fool you.
Given all that, I too once had a rather catastrophic rear main leak oil up the entire rear bumper of my car. Made a nice mess baked onto the ceramic coating on my TTI headers. Took as long to clean them as to replace the seal.
Last edited by Sxrxrnr; 04/03/17 07:03 AM.
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2281495
04/03/17 01:00 PM
04/03/17 01:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,499 So. Burlington, Vt.
fast68plymouth
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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So. Burlington, Vt.
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They dont put rope seal grooves in newer stroker cranks do they? Yes, some brands of cranks do....... And the grooves in the aftermarket cranks are not like the original cranks at all. The grooves are fewer, deeper, and at a shallower angle.
68 Satellite, 383 with stock 906’s, 3550lbs, 11.18@123 Dealer for Comp Cams/Indy Heads
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2281783
04/03/17 07:20 PM
04/03/17 07:20 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,495 Shelby mi.
JAKE68
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,495
Shelby mi.
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If there is a hole all the way threw the cap that indicates that at one point someone put too long of a bolt in it a broke threw. if your going to use that retainer you have to put sealer on bolt .Hope this helps.
JAKES AUTOMOTIVE
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Sxrxrnr]
#2281809
04/03/17 08:14 PM
04/03/17 08:14 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 76 Florida
Interceptor72
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Inside of cover being wet is either because there is no tight seal(no gasket there) between cover and block,,,,or because front of flywheel cover was pinched slightly over rear of pan leaving a gap between cover and the block allowing oil into cover from your leak source. This is why a leak at rear of pan gasket at rear main retainer can fool one into blaming a rear main seal leak as noted in my earlier post. Well, you were right. That's the area the leak was coming from, but it sure looked like it was coming out from between the bellhousing and the cover.
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Re: Bad and Sudden Rear Main Seal Leak
[Re: Interceptor72]
#2281832
04/03/17 09:03 PM
04/03/17 09:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,540 Milwaukee WI
TRENDZ
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master
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Milwaukee WI
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Nice to hear of an easy fix on a potential headache.
"use it 'till it breaks, replace as needed"
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