New to the forum

['70CutlassHoliday]

Hello all, my name is C.J. I'm 17 and recently got a 1970 Cutlass supreme holiday. Could someone link me to a guide to replacing the rear main seal on a 350? Or tell me an easy way to go about it.
Thanks [IMG][/IMG]

[jensenracing77]

wow! the rear seal sucks. you would better off to just pull the engine and do it. i have heard of people doing it in the car but i think it would be more trouble than it would be worth.

[Bluevista]

Welcome.
The easiest way to replace a rear main seal is to have somebody else do it.

[citcapp]

Welcome to the site. I have not done a rear main seal replacement while the engine is in the car. Maybe someone else can chime in to give you and solution. Good luck

[csstrux]

Welcome to the site. It's nice to see not every young man getting into the hobby likes rice. The seal is not going to be easy to get to. I believe you will need to remove the engine to change it out.

['70CutlassHoliday]

I figured it would be too much trouble to do with out lifting the engine up, I'll probably tackle the rings and bearings at the same time (the previous owner claims he did everything but those) but I can't be sure.

['70CutlassHoliday]

only thing i plan on doing with my car is patching or replacing the quarters. Replacing the front passenger floor board, reinstalling the A/C putting a posi in and paint of course.

[Eric Anderson]

Welcome to the site, nice car you have there. Are you sticking with the factory color, or are you going to change it up?

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by Eric Anderson

Welcome to the site, nice car you have there. Are you sticking with the factory color, or are you going to change it up?

Thank you, I'll most likely go with the factory color due to the interior, it has paint over the original there were receipts from 2002 for paint stuffed in the original owner's manual, but the paint job look extremely rough and weathered to only be 7 years old

[csstrux]

A poor quality job will show in a big hurry.

[Jamesbo]

Welcome aboard

There's an ole saying,

"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, how are you going to have time to re do it.?"

[Oldsguy]

Originally Posted by '70CutlassHoliday

(the previous owner claims he did everything but those) but I can't be sure.

If this is so, and you have a leaking rear main seal, and there haven't been that many miles since his "work", I would recommend lifting the engine out and taking a closer look at it.

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by Jamesbo

Welcome aboard

There's an ole saying,

"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, how are you going to have time to re do it.?"

Exactly

Originally Posted by Oldsguy

If this is so, and you have a leaking rear main seal, and there haven't been that many miles since his "work", I would recommend lifting the engine out and taking a closer look at it.

Right, he says the car hasn't gone farther than around the block in the 2 years he had it. I'm not 100% sure if thats where the oil is coming from, I went through last night and tightened down and doubled checked as many of the bolts that I could get to, so I'll have a better Idea after I run it today.

I know someone will enjoy this
[IMG][/IMG]
He cut the tranny lines to fit headers and instead of spending 20 minutes to put the replacement lines in, he used fuel injection hose as patch.

[IMG][/IMG]
I fixed that, now i have to see if I can get the broken off manifold bolt out (circled in red)

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by coldwar

Welcome! - I assumed from the discussion you meant the rear seal in the 350 engine and not the rear seal in the 350 transmission - As a veteran beater Oldsmobile driver, of cars your vintage, may I suggest you put some light oil in it, like 10W-30 or 20W straight viscosity when the weather gets warm, drive it a bit, and see if the rear main settles down - When the engine bearings become worn, and the cars sits for long periods, with gravity working against you, the weight of the crankshaft and rods assembly and full torque convertor tends to elongate the rear main seal, the front seal of transmission, and sometimes the front engine cover seal - With some use and some hot-cold cycles, it may become pliable enough to seal - This assuming the engine doesnt have a 100psi oiling system from a previous re-do, thats bad news in cold weather with any oil grade - I have folded some of those fibrous floor oil absorbsion mats in to a small 6"X 6" square, and jammed them up between oil pan and front of inspection cover, to keep the underside of the car from becoming a huge oily dirty mess during the test - Anyway it's worth a try, I had a bad leaking '75 Supreme which came right back in to shape, with a little use and patience - Best ~ CW

okay, thanks, ill give it a try

['70CutlassHoliday]

Decided today to start sanding, luckily I got all the chrome off the top with out bending any, and I took a grinder to the studs that held the trim for the vinyl, I decided I didn't want a vinyl top.
So I'm going to sand and then shoot it with primer.

[Oldsguy]

Glad to see you fixed that transmission coolant line problem. That was catastrophe waiting to happen. Hope you find your leak.

['70CutlassHoliday]

Well I got the top down to bare metal and i shot her with some primer surfacer [IMG][/IMG]
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next step some body work and head gaskets

[citcapp]

good work to date keep it up. Looks to me like your pretty excited about your project.

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by citcapp

good work to date keep it up. Looks to me like your pretty excited about your project.

thanks, Yeah I'm excited I wanted a project car for literally 5 years. 2 years ago I fell in love with 442's after seeing an episode of muscle car that was about them. Well couldn't find any within a reasonable price range except i found 2 67's for $2,000 but didn't have the money. So I settled for the Cutlass Supreme.

Saw a Craigslist Ad.on March 2nd for the Cutlass Supreme asked the guy if he'd take a 4wheeler as trade. He came and looked at the quad, then I looked at the car. Then took her home/

['70CutlassHoliday]

The lower quarters are pretty much gone, it needs some fender repair, and a front passenger floor board. But the Frame is impressingly solid and the interior just needs a good cleaning.

[gearheads78]

Welcome ...Nice to see another young guy working on an old car.

[65az]

Welcome aboard.. I am a newbie too... I agree that it is great to see young people having an interest in old cars still.. we need more of that.

['70CutlassHoliday]

Thanks to everyone for their support, too many teens are into Riceburners when they try to pass all I smell is Silly Sauce.

Now I have A question, I have a 1976 455 is this engine worth keeping. I've tried finding details (horse power and such) but no luck. I know the "J" heads ( i believe) are crap.

[ent72olds]

What primer surfacer are you using? I hate to see you go through all the work and trouble and apply primers and surfacers incorrectly. If you are taking to bare metal, you need to use an etch "primer" before applying "surfacer". It is one more step that will make the difference between a paint job that looks good for a couple of years and one that can look good forever!

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by ent72olds

What primer surfacer are you using? I hate to see you go through all the work and trouble and apply primers and surfacers incorrectly. If you are taking to bare metal, you need to use an etch "primer" before applying "surfacer". It is one more step that will make the difference between a paint job that looks good for a couple of years and one that can look good forever!

Its an Ever Coat Durabuild high build acrylic primer surfacer.
My dad told me as long as the metal had been "roughed up" that the primer would hold fine without first doing an etch primer. I also consulted the paint guru at a local autoparts store where I bought my primer and thinner ( he recommended the Evercoat because it was more cost efficient).
I'll double check though, thanks.!

[ent72olds]

What type of paint do you plan on using? This evercoat is a 1k primer (basically a lacquer) that will give you very little protection from rust. Remember, a good paint job is like building a house. If the foundation is no good, the house will fall down. This step in your process is probably the most important. It looks like too nice a car to cut corners on. I'm not trying to frustrate you, just don't want you to be disappointed later.

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by ent72olds

What type of paint do you plan on using? This evercoat is a 1k primer (basically a lacquer) that will give you very little protection from rust. Remember, a good paint job is like building a house. If the foundation is no good, the house will fall down. This step in your process is probably the most important. It looks like too nice a car to cut corners on. I'm not trying to frustrate you, just don't want you to be disappointed later.

No frustration here, this is my first time doing this and I do want it to turn out well. I'm not sure on what type of paint I'll be using. I figure the car will be in primer for a while until I get all the engine clean up and wiring clean up done.

Since you seem to know paints, what do you recommend?

[ent72olds]

As far as ease of use and quality, Spies Hecker or Standox bc/cc. Plenty of technical support also. Dupont products are probably next. BASF is not bad either. Keep an eye on my thread in the vista cruiser section '70 Vista Cruiser Project....it might be of some help to you body wise!

['70CutlassHoliday]

So no info on the 455? Im assuming it is worthless

[rocketraider]

C.J. , I was told once "a 455 is a 455". They don't make them anymore and unless it is totally trashed, it's worth saving. It just takes up space.

Lot of people diss the J heads. They require a lot of work for a true performance engine, but work fine in most stock and street apps. If you can find a pair of C's, those are fairly common (used 67-69) and probably overall the best Olds factory head out there. Just be aware there are big and small valve versions.

How many miles showing on the car, and is it original engine? and what exactly did PO claim was done to it? I've seen Olds engines go hundreds of thousands of miles with no cylinder or ring wear, but I'm not following doing top end work and not going thru the bottom at the same time. False economy to me, but...

['70CutlassHoliday]

Originally Posted by rocketraider

C.J. , I was told once "a 455 is a 455". They don't make them anymore and unless it is totally trashed, it's worth saving. It just takes up space.

Lot of people diss the J heads. They require a lot of work for a true performance engine, but work fine in most stock and street apps. If you can find a pair of C's, those are fairly common (used 67-69) and probably overall the best Olds factory head out there. Just be aware there are big and small valve versions.

How many miles showing on the car, and is it original engine? and what exactly did PO claim was done to it? I've seen Olds engines go hundreds of thousands of miles with no cylinder or ring wear, but I'm not following doing top end work and not going thru the bottom at the same time. False economy to me, but...

Well the odometer reads 98,078 and I do believe it is the original 350.
PO claimed he put in A cam,lifters, pushrods and put a new timing set on it (he gave me the old pushrods and timing chain, he had them in a bin). He also did MSD ignition, a Jeg's Prostart Starter,Performer RPM intake, Holley Street Avenger Carb 670 CFM, a TCI torque Converter, and a new water pump. fuel pump and fuel filter.

I have no idea on the condition of the 455 Im guessing it was cut from a car in a junkyard due to the fact that it has an exhaust manifold hanging on one side that is sawed off.