is it easy to replace rear main seal on cutlass 330 on engine stand with pan and flywheel off turned upside down? or better on cherry picker

 

Almost any thing you do to a engine, is easier to do with the motor removed from the car. But some things you can do easily with motor in car, not worth removing.Most the time with these old motors, once you remove the engine, there is probably other things that should be replaced, like gaskets, and timming chain and gears, and then you can also clean and paint the engine.

 

The problem is digging out the old rope seal and cleaning its trough in the block. The new one will be rubber and will roll into place. Don't let the block cut the back side of the seal, and put some moly lube on the lip that hits the crank.

 

thanks alot all new gaskets and timing chain rear main is last thing before putting pan gasket on. in my kit they gave me rope seal i hear it is definitely better to get rubber one

 

Does anyone know the success rate of replacing the main seal while the engine is still in the car? mine was supposedly replaced by a general repair shop back in 2007 and it is leaking. What would a run of the mill shop use as a replacement?
Just curious. My solution was a $3 drip pan.

 

It's really difficult.
Various Ford and AMC seals work, depending on which engine you have.

Aren't you due to pull the engine anyway?

 

That shop might have just used whatever the parts-store recommended.
They charged for 4 hours labor on it so I am hoping they at least tried.

Uh, NO. She runs too well to go and do that. The drip pan works well!
My anti-MAW helmet works well, too!