Oil leak

[nastySR]

my pilot bering finally failed. so while i replace it i decide to pull the engine and do the rear main as well. get the new parts installed and the engine bolted back to the trans. as we're droping the engine back in, oil begins to seep from in between the engine and bell housing. omg, not cool!!!!! me thinks it's probably that i didn't allow the rtv on the rear cover to cure before putting the trans back in and it's just broke the seal. comments, hints, advice would be awesome!!!!

[nastySR]

nothing???? c'mon guys

[jr_ss]

Did you pull the upper oil pan at the same time? Because that's the only way I know of how to replace the rear main seal on the SR...

[nastySR]

nah man. see i was wondering that but i have a friend w/ a silvia and he helped me. i asked if we needed to to do that and he said "no, plus the stock oil pan is impossible to re-seal". also we bent one of the studs that go into the bottom of the rear cover and, again, he said they weren't necessary........?????

[Hijacker]

Tell your friend he is no longer allowed to help you with your car.

You need to pull the upper oil pan off and reseal it. You broke the silicon gasket seal when you pulled the rear carrier off, and no amount of silicon you add will keep the pan from leaking.

Also, if you bent the stud, I recommend replacing it. They force the pan to tighten up against the seal carrier.

You could have sidestepped all of this as a problem had you used a seal remover and pulled the seal out. It's quite doable without pulling the seal carrier.