F'd up a rear main seal install...

[SxMachine]

...anyone successfully pull their sr seal off without damaging it?? While I was installing my rear main I accidentally pushed in a little spot too far. It doesnt LOOK 2 bad but knowing my luck it'll leak. Got any tricks to removing a BRAND NEW rear main any1???

[S14-NEO]

without damaging it might be somewhat tricky.lemme guess its in there kinda crooked ?

[SxMachine]

...just a tad lol. The lip of the seal isnt poking out. But it just LOOKS like it cant wait to leak. One side isnt quite flush with the crank end. Any chance it'll seal??

I also had to reseal the housing because I snatched it loose (after I took the bolts out of course ) thinking the whole thing was replaceable, which is prob why the seal went in to deep. Sux that I may have to replace a brand new just out the box seal.

[Justin35ll]

pictures of it? When I installed my rear main I used the old seal and placed it ontop of the new one and lightly tapped around it in a circle until it sat flush all around. If it's needed you could use a thin layer of rtv around the seal, but you'de have to pull it back out

[Sileighty_85]

its impossible to push in the rear main seal too far there is a lip on the back of the seal housing that keepis it from going in the engine.

tap it all fush and you'll be fine

[duffman1278]

I did this exact same thing, I was like "wtf?!?!" I took mine out with these SMALL like hook things from snap on, I think they're for electrical. It was tedious but I got it. It's going to get damaged though.

[SxMachine]

its impossible to push in the rear main seal too far there is a lip on the back of the seal housing that keepis it from going in the engine.

tap it all fush and you'll be fine

U sure abt that?? I've never seen a rear main NOT sit flush with th crank end. I know it wont go IN to the engine but I didnt think it was supposed to be too far back either

[SxMachine]

maybe I'm bein paranoid then. I checkd some pics of other members rear main seals and I guess it DOESNT have to sit on the crank end. A little crank lip exposed is proper.

[Hijacker]

You want the entire inner part of the seal to be touching the flat side of the crank. So if it sits flush, you're too close to the edge of the crank. It needs to be flush up against the retaining tabs on the back of the seal carrier. This usually leaves around a 1/4" of crank sticking out.

[exracer330]

i used a 2x4 to get the old one out and new one in?? workd great just takes sum breathing. ha those things are alot tougher then i thought...

[Thrasher068]

I may be wrong but doesnt that part come off? by removing the 4 bolts? or was it 6 lol

[Hijacker]

I may be wrong but doesnt that part come off? by removing the 4 bolts? or was it 6 lol

And then he'd had to relay the gasket for the oil pan. If the motor is still in the car, that makes the job that much harder. However, his seal is in fine. He just needs to flush it up against the retaining tabs of the carrier.

[SxMachine]

You want the entire inner part of the seal to be touching the flat side of the crank. So if it sits flush, you're too close to the edge of the crank. It needs to be flush up against the retaining tabs on the back of the seal carrier. This usually leaves around a 1/4" of crank sticking out.

Yea thats what I figured. Jus tryin to make sure I didnt mess up another rear main job (vw rear mains SUK 2 do over!). Thanx guys this job is done (hopefully)