lucille53

i have a 57 olds j2 371 with a leaking rear main seal, ive never replaced one and am curious as to what is involved. will i have to pull the motor or trans? is it something that i can do myself? any special tools required? or things to take note of(do's/don'ts) thanks

nsnarsk65cutlass

It's a rope seal and the oil pan,rear main cap needs to be removed,now replacing it is another thing.Imho removing the engine is easier than working on it from underneath.I don't know if there is a replacement lip seal.Good luck& Welcome

D. Yaros

It can be done, but is not the easiest task in the world. Most probably steering linkage and starter will need to be removed. Of course, oil pan will have to be removed.

Seal itself is two pieces. Lower seal should come out easily. A dull probe should push the upper seal out without too much of a problem.

The trick is getting the new seal(s) in place. A special, small, collapsing wire holder is made to install the upper seal. It will grip the seal and pull it into place on the upper bearing.

You have a couple of choices. You may install another rope seal, like the one that came from the factory or install a neoprene (rubber) seal. There are pros/cons to each, so you may want to investigate that a bit?

Your other option is to pay someone $250 + (guesstimate) to do the job.

lucille53

thanks guys, my father already bought the replacement seals, he was diagnosed with lung cancer several years ago and passed away this year before getting to finish up the few things he had left to do, this project is my tribute to him.