FJ62 Rear main

[AZLC]

A few questions about replacing a 3FE rear main seal. I have an FSM.

It is a stock fj62, no lift and small tires. First, the placement of the vehicle. I plan on placing the front tires on ramps and leaving rear tires on garage floor. Is this a good arrangement as long as rear tires have stops, or, should I place rear on jacks?

Second, for a transmission jack I have borrowed a harbor freight scissor style jack. It seems rather small compared to the tranny and t-case??? I really would like to avoid renting one of those massive, ball(s) lowering jacks.

Last year I tried to break the tranny lines loose at the trans. No luck. I used PB for a few days. I started appling PB yesterday.

Anything to look out for?

Thanks,
Tim
Peoria, AZ

 

[cruiser88]

That will be fine for taking it out however it might be a fight to get back in. I really dont think that tranny/transfer will stay unless you something to help hold it, IF it is the one i am thinking of

 

[cruiser88]

Last time I pulled one I let it roll off my chest and on to the ground dont do that.

 

[kevinmrowland]

Ditto, dont do that.
The easiest way I ever did it was to have a weight lifter friend of mine just bench press the trany in and out. That was nice.

You are going to want a proper tranny jack, or a jack modified to be a trany jack.
Remember that if the T-case stays attached it will be very heavy to the passenger side.
If you can it is much better to have the vehicle level, you need room under the back for the trany to be lowered into. I would find 2 more ramps.
Be careful with the lines.

 

[gray]

I'll ask the stupid question; are you sure it is the rear main leaking,
and not the rear part of the pan gasket?

These are notorious for leaks

just asking.

g

 

[AZLC]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will track down a couple more ramps and get a heavy duty trans jack. I am not 100% sure it is leaking from the rear main. To verify it is the rear main, is there some sort of test(visible oil in housing) that can be done prior to removing the trans?

 

[gray]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will track down a couple more ramps and get a heavy duty trans jack. I am not 100% sure it is leaking from the rear main. To verify it is the rear main, is there some sort of test(visible oil in housing) that can be done prior to removing the trans?

Not sure of any (easy) method to determine rear main vs the rear part of the oil pan gasket; I had mine replaced on both my FJ60
and FJ62; they both continued to seep, not as much as before,
just a bit.

Before I had the pan gaskets replaced/resealed, I was sure I had
a rear main seal going; as it leaks out up high in the rear of the pan
gasket and gets blown all over the place.

If the leak is not bad, I would for sure first pull the pan and seal the heck out of it using a new gasket, paying particular attention to the front and rear portions of the pan and gasket.

If you haven't already, wash the heck out of the front and rear of the oil pan etc at a car wash;
ie: Gunk engine degreaser, engine cleaner from the car wash,
etc.

Then watch it closely; like hourly.

One last; synthetic will leak from these more than conventional oil,
and light weight synthetic will leak more than heavy stuff; been
through it all myself.

good luck

g

 

[concorddesk]

you can use a motorcycle or atv jack works great I picked one up around $100.00 just for this. I have since used it for many other uses. good luck w/ the job ahead. I am looking to get new trans lines this week and do my rear main.

 

[Gutterpunk]

Not sure of any (easy) method to determine rear main vs the rear part of the oil pan gasket; I had mine replaced on both my FJ60
and FJ62; they both continued to seep, not as much as before,
just a bit.

Before I had the pan gaskets replaced/resealed, I was sure I had
a rear main seal going; as it leaks out up high in the rear of the pan
gasket and gets blown all over the place.

If the leak is not bad, I would for sure first pull the pan and seal the heck out of it using a new gasket, paying particular attention to the front and rear portions of the pan and gasket.

If you haven't already, wash the heck out of the front and rear of the oil pan etc at a car wash;
ie: Gunk engine degreaser, engine cleaner from the car wash,
etc.

Then watch it closely; like hourly.

One last; synthetic will leak from these more than conventional oil,
and light weight synthetic will leak more than heavy stuff; been
through it all myself.

good luck

g

So, I've got leaks all over the place (small ones). I'm not confident in doing a rear main myself--I'll have to look into it some more--but replacing the oil pan seal seems easier.

I'll need to look into that more as well, but generally what's involved in that? Just unbolting the pan and pulling it off?

 

[Wile E Coyote]

I'll add:
If you do end up pulling the trans, it's good insurance to install a new converter seal, as well. 2 reasons, the old one could get buggered just enough during the R&R that it now would leak, or it's the thing that is leaking now. Along those same lines, when the trans is pulled away, or getting pushed back to the block, do not allow any weight to rest on the front of the trans (specifically, the converter), find a near neutral balance while resting on the jack. The best ways to bugger it up are too much axial pressure on the seal along w/ installing converter on a dry seal; lube it 1st.

As far as the oil pan gasket, drain the oil 1st, drop the pan*, clean out the pan, and clean the pickup if needed. Clean the gasket mating surfaces, and straighten out any warped mating surface on the sheetmetal pan. Using a ONE-PIECE seal, apply it to the block, using two bolts of the same size as the pan bolts w. the heads cut off (to align the gasket and pan for install). Or put the gasket on the PAN, and tie sewing thread through a few holes, again to hold things in place for install. Thirdly, use a commercially made gasket dressing (thin and brown in color) to lightly glue the gasket to the pan. Glue it to the pan only, as it's easier to scrap material off a pan that youcan hold in your hand, then lie on yer back and scrape a block overhead.
* Don't expect the pan to just fall off when the last bolt comes out. Expect it to be well glued from the years of varnish. Do not pry HARD on the pan/block mating surface unless you want to straighten your pan or sand off scratches on the block surface later. Apply lateral pressure w/ a block of wood, hit the block of wood w/ a hammer in several areas, etc. It will eventually drop down.

 

[5280Hawk]

my oil pan has some nice dents on it now from a 4x4 i was using to coax it off.

It was f*ing on there! Once i got it off and the new gasket on, my oil leak decreased by about 9/10ths, but i still get a little oil, probably the RMS.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

I'll ask the stupid question; are you sure it is the rear main leaking, and not the rear part of the pan gasket?

Coming in a bit late but will add this was my experience. I had small drips all over the bottom end and were getting worse. A new oil pan gasket cleared it all up.

No leaks thanks to 84cruiser!

 

[billmc]

I'm coming in late too, but the other thing to check is the valve cover gasket. It's very easy for the firewall end to get messed up on install and let all sorts of oil down the back of your engine.

Bill

 

[agent orange]

The one thing you absolutely need in my experience is about a 3' 1/2 drive extension. The top bellhousing bolt on my rig was in there TIGHT, and the best way to get a good pull on it was to use a really long extension and come at it from behind the tranny.

Also, make sure you can slide the tranny out on the jack since you are stock height. I had to roll mine off the jack to get it out from under the truck, that was the sketchy part.

 

[Gimme a 60]

I’m sure coming on late here considering I was 2 years old when this thread was made. What is the average time it takes to replace the rear main seal? Would over filling the oil be a possible cause of leaks?