Just had Rear Main Seal Replaced - Diesel Forum

GoJoeGo · 03-01-2005, 07:07 PM

I just had the Rear Main Seal Replaced on my early '04 F-350. Is there anything I should do or look out for, over the next few days. The truck had 22,000 miles and 16 months old. The leak started at 5,000 miles.

Other than that, it has been the best truck I have ever owned!!!!

Thanks,

OT · 03-01-2005, 08:09 PM

Just ck. BH etc. stays dry? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img] Curious, do you know how tech. knew it was seal leak. In otherwords, what was done to pinpoint leak?

Good luck on fix. OT [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

GoJoeGo · 03-01-2005, 08:41 PM

Here is what the repair order said:

"21553 Removed trans visually found rear main oil seal leaking and front oil pump cover leaking. Replaced Rear Seal and front oil pump cover and front crank seal. Test drove, ok."

There was also oil stains and a few drops of oil on the B/H.

OT · 03-01-2005, 09:27 PM

Tks. Had early on BH stain/hangin drip. Never seen on ground. Since then, found o. on sensor wires above p.s.pump. Before few drops would hit pump, but now I see some o. on front diff. Anyhow, on my list when I take in.

Good luck on fix. OT

shrkfan · 03-01-2005, 09:41 PM

I am going to take mine in for the same thing. Leaking oil from the bellhousing. How long did it take them to repair it?

green_mule · 03-02-2005, 08:58 AM

Took mine in yesterday. I was told it should be ready Thursday evening. Not sure if it's the rear seal or not. They will pull the tranny today to make sure.

njco · 03-02-2005, 11:49 AM

i just took my truck in today for a oil leak.. the tech put the truck on the lift and asked me where i saw the oil...showed him and said he was going to put in a new rear main seal.... he only looked at it for 5 mins....i have 19000 on my 04 cc no drips in the driveway i can see but oil on bell housing....

Retrofitter · 03-02-2005, 12:04 PM

I hope you guys have better luck than me. My Ex has been in shop for two weeks. They started by pulling the transmission to check where the leak was from. Then I was informed that the motor had to be pulled and it would be a couple days. I went by yesterday to check on it. They tell me they are waiting on gaskets. I also went to the shop to see the status for myself. Tech must has been on break, no one around. I say the EX on the lift, motor out, on the stand and disassembled. Not a pretty sight. I sure would have liked to talk to tech, the SA has no idea what is going on. In hindsight, I think I would have lived with the very slow leak, drop on bell housing. I don't think truck will ever be right again.
Good luck to all of you.

rstaichi · 03-03-2005, 12:37 AM

I have 16,000 on mine and saw oil leak at bellhousing during my last oil change. Looked just like all the photos I have seen on here [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vomit.gif[/img]
Well they put dy in and said coming from CMP and C KP sensors and replaced o rings.
So thats good news...even the SA said "yea, not good to be pulling a new truck apart so earlly to fix a main seal leak" and I agree [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

For this, new EGR, new glow plugs bus bar(both sides) and new steering box took 2 days.

green_mule · 03-03-2005, 02:42 AM

Dropped my rig off Tuesday morning, was told I'd see it again Thursday evening. To my surprize I got it back today at 15:00.

The job paper states: Oil drip from the back of the engine to bellhousing. Verify customer concern, remove trans, replace rear main seal and reseal bed plate. Reassemble and retest ok.

Also: Belt or pully squeek on cold start up. Replace serpintine belt with update to correct.

I have 35,477 miles on this truck. I had the new turbo pedestal installed after the turbo was replaced (at 250 or so miles) to correct the "moan" at 1700 rpms.

The new pedestal moved the "moan" down the rpm scale and you can feel a vibration in the floor. There's a revised procedure to loosen up the exhaust system, check and/or reline the pipes and retorque it all. The Tech that's going to do the job (the Tech that's done all work that has been done to my truck) said he's done four of these and one solved the "moan" and the other three didn't help. He's going to redue my truck Tuesday. We'll see if it's any better.

To me these are minor problems execpt for the rear main seal. They don't put the amount of time spent on the job doing these repairs so we/you can figure what it would cost us out of pocket to replace a $35 seal.

I was told that replacing this seal is part of the 100,000 mile power train warranty so if it goes out again it's covered. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]

GoJoeGo · 03-03-2005, 08:37 PM

Final Update.....

I have had the truck back for two days. The truck seam to run better and a little better MPG. It has a noticeable improvement in get-up and go, and the average MPG, via computer, has improved from 16.5 to 17.8.

I hope it runs like this for the next 100,000 miles.

It took one day for the repair, in at 7am out at 5pm.

njco · 03-04-2005, 07:05 PM

I had my dealer call me today and told me they needed my truck over the weekend because there was some bullentiens for it.. but it was the the trans.. she was not sure what one it was... any help for you guys on what it maybe? she (service writer)thinks it might be a seal of some kind....

njco · 03-07-2005, 07:18 PM

dealer just called and said they had to replace the rear engine plate? anyone know anything about a engine plate?

ralphinnj · 03-08-2005, 07:16 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Final Update.....

I have had the truck back for two days. The truck seam to run better and a little better MPG. It has a noticeable improvement in get-up and go, and the average MPG, via computer, has improved from 16.5 to 17.8.

I hope it runs like this for the next 100,000 miles.

It took one day for the repair, in at 7am out at 5pm.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had a couple of pinion seals go. Some of the other posts above seem to be talking about fluids emitted from the engine/trans, not the rear. Staying on point here, I can tell you what it probably is. When you generate a lot of power going to the back, the angle of the drive shaft going into the differential is not maintained 100%. You might not be able to see the flex, but it is definitely there. Each time you romp on it, you effectively stretch the pinion seal a little. Over time, the result is a slow leak. Since I am running a lot more power, I had traction bars added and sway bars. See pics in link. That stiffens the rear which reduces the flex under load.

One interesting thing to note in your case is the increased mileage. Had it been that high earlier and slowly trickled down (which you'd expect if the pionion seal was loosening)? It may also be that the drive shaft was never 100% aligned; this would cause pinion seal damage even without a load, and would result in a leak over time. Then, when they replaced your pinion seal, they probably also got the alignment corrected and that reduced friction to the rear; net result: better mileage and acceleration.

RL

njco · 03-09-2005, 01:44 PM

just picked up my truck for the dealer. seems like it has more low end power..could they have flashed it? i looked on the invoice and cant find anything about it..how can i tell if they flashed it?