Just curious if there were any tips I need to know when installing a rear main seal on a BB mopar?

Both motors I have built had dribbled from the rear main. My current motor (493) is going to get the rear main replaced because I am sick of having oil spots in my garage and I dont want it to leak again.

A neat tip is to tilt it slightly so the ends meet in the slotted part ,not the part line.
I'd like to hear if there is a down side to this.

I laughed when I saw this thread, I'm doing my seal tonite and just got off the phone with DodgeTony as I was asking questions about it.

Who's rear main seal retainer are you using ?

My experience has been that most aftermarket retainers are poorly engineered and don't meet the original design requirements. If you look closly to the aftermarket retainers, they have a clearance cut for the oil slinger but absolutly no provisions for oil drainback between the seal and oil slinger. In some cases, the seal retainer is so close to the rear main cap, it almost touches and further reduces oil drainback and causes pressureized oil against the seal. The best fix for this is to mill out the material to allow oil drainback like the original retainers.
Another suggestion is to check clearance between your main cap fastners and seal retainer and if you are using rear studs than it will most likley interfer. This can also be clearanced with a grinding tool.
You may want to read up on this guy and what he found.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,51149.0.html
If you are using a stock retainer, than you will probably have good luck but check clearance between main bolts/studs and retainer.

I cut and pasted from another post so some of the info is the same from the previous post.

I have had leaking rear main seal and this is what I found.

1. The main studs often interfer with the seal cap. Make sure there is clearance between the top of the main studs and around the nut.

2. Some of these aftermarket caps are solid on the end facing the cap with the oil slinger clearance cut. The cap will mate flush with the main cap and not allow oil to drain from the slinger area. Oil pressurized from priming/running will overcome the seal and find its way on the floor if not allowed to vent. Note the open/profiled area in the factory seal retainer.

3 - If the crank was out of the engine, bolt the main cap and torque. Then bolt on the seal retainer with the seals and check alignment of the seal halfs. With the slop in the holes, it is possible for the halfs not to line up and sensitive with the rubber/neoprean knife edged seals. This is not an issue with a wide rope seal. With the seal cap slightly lose, you can line it up and scribe a line accross the top of the seal retainer and block to correctly assemble later with the crank in the block.

Thanks for the tips. I have one of the aftermarket rear seals, I think its INDY but I dont remember. I wont be using it.... POS in my mind. I have an extra stock one laying around that I will be using.

Thanks again

I'm considering tossing the vertical strips and filling the grooves with RTV. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks

Like RemCharger said try and rotate the seal so that the seal DOES NOT meet at the part line of the retainer. Also use just a dab of RTV on the ends of the seal. And one more thing coat the vertical strips in RTV.

So what you are saying is that the tapered edge of the seal should face the front of the engine? I think that's what the instructions said although a picture would have been better.

Tapered side is to the rear, think of a barb, movement in one direction causes no resistance, going the other way isn't allowed...

Yes offset the seal in the retainer. Lip of the seal inward so that any oil splash or pressure build up forces the lip tighter against the sealing surface. Taper of the lip in and the pressure or oil splash can push the lip of seal outward or downward causing a leak. there should be a paint ring on the seal and the directions will show which directions the ring should be.

The New Mopar seal kit is a joke. The side seals are little orange noodles that are impossible to keep from moving when installing the retainer. How is mineral spirits gonna help a noodle??? I seem to remember those seals being a solid material of some sort IIRC??? My dad thinks he's got one leaking on a freshened 383 and I'm not to comfy with mine in the 451 i have downstairs right now!!

Don.

So the Mancini one in my 496 that's still at the machine shop will probably leak?

Great....spent the money because of the rubber side seals...

I've been using the billet rear main seal kit from Mancini Racing on all of my motors now for a few years. The motor in the picture has been on and off the dyno now for over 2 years and the rear main area is dry as a bone.

Mine don't leak. This is how I do them. First make sure the rear pan bolt holes are not cracked in the retainer. I use the factory GM sealer. I have worked for the dark side for 26 years. This is the best sealer I have ever used. I put a small line of anerobic sealer between the retainer and block. Then a SMALL dab of GM sealer on the seal ends where they but together. Fill the side grooves with sealer. You can use the filler strips as well if you want to. Make sure there are no voids. Slip the retainer in and use a putty knife to fill the v shapped crevice on the outside of the block. I've built 6 in the last year,none leak.
Good Luck Doug