Greetings from Northern California!

I have a really bad oil leak coming from the rear main seal. I've searched online and I cant seem to find any info and/or tips on how to replace the rear main seal on a 1985 Cutlass Supreme with the 3.8 L V6 engine. From what I can see it does appear to be a complex job and somewhat difficult.

Any tech gurus out there that can give me a few tips?

I understand that the oil pan must be removed along with part of the exhaust to access the rear main cap. My main concern is knowing if the transmission needs to be removed.

I'm your typical DIY'er and have access to basic tools and enjoy getting my hands dirty and tinkering with these older GM cars.

 

The trans will not need to come out. Thanks to the deep skirt block of the 3.8, the pan actually comes out pretty easy.