I have two on-going problems that I cant find a permanent fix for..

The first problem is broken motor mounts for the small block Duster.. I've wanted to stay with the rubber motor mounts since the Duster is a street car and is driven all over town.. However I seem to be breaking them too much.

Both mounts were new the last time the motor went into the car, which was about 2 years ago.. 6 months ago, we broke the left side rubber... which I think is actaully polyurathane mount.. I ordered new replacements and installed it.. 2 months later, we broke the right side, so once again, we replaced it. Almost immediately after, we busted up the left side again.

I dont want to go with solid or a motor plate.. Do I have options?

The 2nd pain in the butt problem is the leaky real main seal.

Last time the motor was out, the brand new rear main seal started leaking while on the running stand. We had to swap out 2 seals until we could find one that didnt leak.

About a year ago, it started leaking, so we dropped the pan and replaced it with the motor in the car.. This seemed to solve the problem until last weekend at MATs where it started dripping again.

Is this just a problem I will always deal with or is there a permanent fix for these dam things? and before anyone asks.. yes the oil splash lip thingy is facing forwards towards the motor...

Thanks in advance

Do you have a torque strap on the motor? If not, you should put one on. This will help keep the motor from moving excessively and should help your mounts live.
Or you could put a solid mount on the driver's side only. Not as harsh as two solid mounts, but will stop the engine from moving. CHIP

I had the same problem with my stroker when i first put it in,it was ripping the rubber motor mounts in two even with a torque strap..i installed the poly-locs from schumaker and since then no problems,as already mentioned you might want to try a solid on the drivers side and rubber on the pass.,but deffinately get a torque strap,you can make your own easy enought too...

Don,
Are you still using the stock trans mount? I went to a poly mount in my car and its much stiffer which takes some of the strain off the motor mounts. Though I have the early style trans mount which is different from yours. I would definitely go with a torque strap and see if that helps the mounts live some.

As for the leaks, I spent a lot of time assembling my motor and even used more expensive gaskets in hopes I wouldn't have drips but it never fails something isn't going to seal.

I have a big block so this may not apply, but I use rope seals and the schumacher "magnum" mount on the driver side. Even if you tore through all that rubber in the mount there's no way it will ever separate due to its construction having the bolt-throughs etc.

I had issues when I first got my car together with the rubber seal and have had good luck using rope. Before I built the stroker I would sometimes get a little drip but nothing ever really serious. Stroker doesn't leak anything, but now that I just jinxed myself I'm sure it's already dropped a quart on the garage floor!

With the rear main seal: Make sure that you have the lip installed facing the right way and offset the seal in the retainer so that the parting line is not the same as the retainer to block parting line.
Are you sure that is the rear main seal and not the rear pan to main cap seal?? These are kind of tempermental at times. The groove in each side of the cap must be clean s that the tabs of the end cap to pan rubber seats down into the cap in the cap correctly and tight against the pan. This type of leakage is often mistake for a rear main seal leak.

Don, Schumacher's got the safety mounts that overlap steel in the polymer. Or I've run a hardware store turnbuckle and a few links of chain with a ton of success. Never broke another one after that. Before that, it would rip the mount enough for the Z bar to come off the pivot ball.

on the rear main... I use the rope seals now. They dont leak.

Thanks all.. I didnt really want to run a torque strap, but it sounds like either a strap or solid mounts.. I'll go with the straps..

BTW.. all three mounts... both motor mounts and the tranny is polyeurethane.. I said rubber because I dont know how to spell polyeurothane

The oil leak is for sure coming from the rear main seal... I've checked the crank for burrs, scratches, indentations and etc.. it looks clean as a whistle.. Since I'm like most of you and we all HATE oil leaks, I want something that will fix it once and for all.. I'll look into the rope seals.

Thanks again