rear main seal leaking, thinking on doing job myself.

[johnshop]

so i really don't want to spend 400+ to replace a 20 dollar piece, to me makes no sense so i want to do the job myself.

there is a lot of guides out there, and i am not here for that, ( yet if you want to point out to a REALLY good one for an automatic transmission i would be more than grateful since i have only seen general guides really)

anyhow i just want to know any tips or tricks that you more experienced people could give me? this will be my first big job in my car and i want to be as much informed as i can.

i have some questions:

can this job be done with normal axle jack stands?
for a first timer with a helper with more experience with cars, how long would this take?

again, tips, tricks?

the car leaks ( obviously), but as for now i just do the obvious and check my oil almost every time before and after a ride, and if necessary fill it up, but my drive way does not look very good and i want my 186xxx mile engine to last me as much as it can so, again, if someone could direct me in the right direction would be awesome

[t.mcginley.jr]

You may need to get larger (taller) jack stands because you will need to get the front of the car high enough to drop the trans out the bottom. After the exhaust/driveshaft/shifter linkage/alternator-to-trans harness are out of the way, you'll need to support the trans with a jack and then take the crossmember off. People have used regular floor jacks with a piece of wood and a strap to lower the trans, but obviously a transmission jack would be better (usually). The hardest part of actually getting the trans off the engine are the top 2 bellhousing bolts. Someone recommended that the easiest way is an impact gun + 12"-20" extension + universal (swivel) joint + socket to get them off. REMEMBER to take the bottom cover plate off and remove the 4 bolts that hold the torque converter to the flexplate.

Changing the RMS itself is really simple. The hardest part of the whole job is putting the trans BACK in.

Btw, make sure to change your PCV valves. If they are clogged, it can create too much pressure in the crankcase causing the RMS to leak even if its brand new.

[johnshop]

As usual you are so very helpful ! So any tricks or tips on putting the transmission back in?I mean, yeah is the same process backwards right ?

BTW I am getting the tools for a compression test soon I haven't forgotten. Just little time

[t.mcginley.jr]

So any tricks or tips on putting the transmission back in?I mean, yeah is the same process backwards right ?

Glad I can help! The hardest part about putting the trans back in is getting all of the bellhousing bolts to line up while trying to raise the trans up and hold it steady on the jack. Its usually at an awkward angle. It helps to find a point on the trans where it's pretty balanced front to back and side to side that way you don't have to worry about it falling as much. Once you get 3 or 4 bolts in you can tight them up for the most part and then try to get those 2 top ones in. You will still need to put the 4 bolts on that hold the torque converter to the flex plate.

BTW I am getting the tools for a compression test soon I haven't forgotten. Just little time

Sweet!!

[Fearspect]

Sorry to jump in on a thread, but I am getting ready to do the same job, and have a question that I think would help both me and the OP:

What other commonly failing components should I replace while the transmission is out?

I don't want to have to do all this again if I can avoid it for a long time. Someone vaguely mentioned replacing the knock sensor and a turbo coolant hose in a previous thread but didn't elaborate. I have been searching the internet for days for 'other things to replace with rear main seal' to no avail.

[t.mcginley.jr]

With the trans out there really isn't much to replace besides the RMS. If you wanted to replace/delete the EGR valve then now would be the time as it's pretty much inaccessible with the trans in (dead center on the back of the engine, just above the trans bellhousing). You can also probably get to the KS easier from back there too, but I wouldn't know from experience. It sits just under the lower intake and you can probably see it if you look at the engine from the back while your in the trans tunnel. Getting your hands in there would be tough I think though, as the space between the block and lower intake is only a couple inches, maybe 3" max. If you really wanted to change the KS, I would try to just get the connector off of it while the trans is out, leave the old KS where it is, get a new one, and relocate it as per this:

http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/f ... ation.html

If you can successfully get any of the turbo hoses off while you're there then by all means replace them. I have an NA so there's not much else back there for me. Not sure if you have an auto or 5spd Fearspect, but if you had an auto you could replace the transmission filter while its out of the car. You just take the oil pan off (it's full of oil still) and you will see the filter, it looks like this:

[Fearspect]

I have an Auto, generally looking to replace all seals/gaskets as I'm pretty sure none have ever been replaced (and don't trust the work if they have, seals/gaskets being cheap anyway) and am dead set on making this as reliable a car as possible now that I have it. Thank you for the tip.

Z1 sells an odd RMS kit, which includes Rear Retainer Gasket and a Rear Oil Pan Seal, but all the guides I have found online don't seem to touch on replacing these two items.

Can't seem to find those specific Turbo Hoses anywhere, any idea what they would be called, or possibly a link to a silicone version on CZP or Z1 or something would be really appreciate; I want to have all the parts sitting ready before I start pulling things.

Thank you for the info on Knock Sensor location. If it's on the intake, I'll worry about it next year when I upgrade all my intake piping to a larger size.

[johnshop]

thanks for actually asking those questions really can help me too.

another question, i have found general thread about the transmission, but not a specific guide with little pictures for an automatic transmission? is there one out there?

[t.mcginley.jr]

Z1 sells an odd RMS kit, which includes Rear Retainer Gasket and a Rear Oil Pan Seal, but all the guides I have found online don't seem to touch on replacing these two items.

Yes there is a RMS retainer gasket that's paper, I have no idea why and not really sure if its needed. The RMS itself holds the oil in, the RMS retainer holds the seal itself in place. It never sees air/water/coolant so I don't know why it needs a gasket. As for the rear oil pan seal I'm not really sure if you can replace the without taking the pan off. I guess if you tried hard enough you could pry the old one out with a pick or something and then lube the new one and stick it in, but you need to seal both ends with RTV. I wouldn't trust doing it this way.

another question, i have found general thread about the transmission, but not a specific guide with little pictures for an automatic transmission? is there one out there?

Do you mean a thread about the transmission itself with pics or about removing it?

[johnshop]

yes

[addicted4life]

I did the clutch an rear main seal on the ground with jack stands and a buddy to help align it when reinstalling the transmission. Not bad if your mechanically inclined, we had it out in less then hour and that's not our first time into a 300
Good luck

[t.mcginley.jr]

I did the clutch an rear main seal on the ground with jack stands and a buddy to help align it when reinstalling the transmission. Not bad if your mechanically inclined, we had it out in less then hour and that's not our first time into a 300
Good luck

They both have autos, but it's not much different you just have to unbolt the torque converter from the flexplate before pulling the trans from the engine.

@johnshop I can't seem to find any guides with pictures except for the ones in the FSM. Sorry bud

[johnshop]

ah no biggie, can you post some of those links? i am trying to gather as much info as i can.

and i am mechanically inclined, and my friend also is mechanically inclined and has more experience working with cars. i just have never worked on a nissan 300zx before.



so i would guess it would be an hour maybe 2 hour job for us removing.

[Fearspect]

Rear Main Seal guide:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/rear-m ... ement.html

[t.mcginley.jr]

There's a link to the FSM here on this site, probably in the "Everything you need to know about z32" sticky.

If you're both mechanically inclined then you should be able to figure it out fairly easily. As long as you make sure all the electrical connections, coolant tubes, and shifter linkage is removed first, then the rest is just supporting the trans and unbolting it (and the torque converter).

Good luck!

[johnshop]

There's a link to the FSM here on this site, probably in the "Everything you need to know about z32" sticky.

If you're both mechanically inclined then you should be able to figure it out fairly easily. As long as you make sure all the electrical connections, coolant tubes, and shifter linkage is removed first, then the rest is just supporting the trans and unbolting it (and the torque converter).

Good luck!

ah found it, that will help tremendously.

another thing, any fluids i should top off after all? obviously oil, but anything else? coolant? transmission oil?

[addicted4life]

Yup we had it out in less then an hour, drop your exhaust unbolt the transmission, unclip your connectors and shift linkage, then bell housing bolts. Yours will vary at that last step as its an auto (?)

Cheers
Brad

[johnshop]

it is an auto. how will it vary btw?

[t.mcginley.jr]

You will need to refill the transmission fluid after you get everything back together.

In an auto you have to remove the metal plate/shield under the bellhousing so that you can take the 4 torque converter bolts out. If you had a manual, there wouldn't be any torque converter, instead you would have a clutch, pressure plate, slave cylinder, etc. that you would need to remove.