Replacing the Rear Main Seal 2000 S40

[billofdurham]

Thank you for this. It is going into the Repair Database.

Bill.

[Choguy03]

I am having an issue with an oil leak coming from what I feel is the RMS area. I am quite confident that the seal is not the issue. I have read some things stating that the flywheel bolt should have thread sealant applied to them and I wondered if this is the case and I should tear this back apart and put sealant on these bolts. Thanks dudes.

[precopster]

When I rebuilt/replaced an 850 motor I DIDN'T replace the factory sealer on the driveplate bolts. In fact I cleaned them up quite a bit with a wire brush and put them back in. No leaks!!

I hope it's not your new RMS. Did you choose a slightly new position for the new seal? Did the crank have a wear mark from the old seal? Sometimes the wear mark is so deep the new seal has to go on a little before or after where the old one went.

[Choguy03]

It isn't/wasn't the RMS. (Whew). It is the shaft seal and it was transmission fluid. (It was old, burnt and black oil looking). I have yet to replace it, but added some Lucas trans lube and it seems to have stopped the problem. Once I get my house (with my new warm garage), I am going to replace the seal and do a complete drain and fill/flush to replace the old trans fluid. I will put up a write up when the time comes.

[pierremcalpine]

Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to put this together. I have what I think is a modest RMS leak (1-2 quarts per oil change) and tell tale signs of fresh oil dripping down the seam between engine and trans with a drop always collecting right where the flywheel can be seen from underneath. Not quite sure that this leak justifies doing this job but it bugs me that the leak is there and that it could all of a sudden get worse!