Is it best to replace the rear main seal w/ the engine in?
 

or out?

If you do it in the car, you have to remove the exhaust, transaxle, bell-housing and clutch and flywheel.

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/clutch-01.htm The GSM quotes 16 hours for a NA.

I've done that and it was a real PITA.

The other way, pulling the engine, you still have to take off the bell-housing/clutch/flywheel. But I'd think it'd be a lot easier doing that with the engine out of the car, sitting on an engine stand...

Seemed to me the flywheel and pressure plate had hundreds of bolts, and laying on my back under the car, tightening them and then torquing them was a major pain. Maybe I'm exaggerating a wee bit...

I've heard estimates as low as a couple hours to drop an engine. If I have to do the clutch/rear main seal again, that's probably the way I'll do it.

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/eng-01.htm

If that is the ONLY thing that some Barrnie forgot to do, then maybe, while the engine is In. Otherwise I'd spend the 2500 and rebuild your baby right. Otherwise she will kill you with half ass work.

Is it leaking bad? Generally this is something you want to do when you do a new clutch. If you really need to do the RMS and you are on the original clutch, just do the whole thing at once. Otherwise you may find yourself doing the whole operation again one week or one year later. Or you can just live with the leak and wait till you need a new clutch. I just did the clutch and rear main seal. We took our time to do everything right, but it was 4 days of work!!

Yes it is leaking really bad, as if there is no seal on at all. How many hours a day did you work??

What is the cost of replacing the clutch anyway?

Figure on spending the following for your clutch job:
clutch kit (pressure plate, disc & TO bearing) $400
New bolts, clutch lever & bearings, clutch tool, rear main seal - $110
Flywheel resurfacing - $50 at any car quest in the area

Also plan on doing the motor mounts if you pull the engine and they haven't been done in a while.

Lots of "while your in there" kind of things too that can start to add up fast. if you pull the engine out, you might as well check the rest of the gaskets too.


You sure your leak isn't coming from the rear of the cam tower and not the rear main seal?