Rear main seal leaks are one of those dreaded problems with your car that are hard to understand and even harder to fix. A rear main seal leak can sometimes be the last nail in the coffin for an older car with a few other problems, or an expensive repair that leaves your bank account on “E”. In this article we’re going to look at what it is that causes a rear main seal leak so you can try to avoid it, but we will also look at your options if you already have a rear main seal leak.
Your rear main seal is the seal that is just outside of your rear main bearing. The crankshaft for your motor is supported by the main bearings in your engine. These bearings carry the majority of the load in your engine and play a crucial role in turning the axial motion of your piston into the rotary motion of the crankshaft. The main bearings absorb the axial load of the piston being forced down by combustion while still allowing the crankshaft to spin therefore creating the rotary motion of your engine.
To accomplish the task of absorbing all that load and still allowing rotation, these bearings have to be incredibly smooth and stay well lubricated by the oil in your engine. The correct oil for your engine is extremely important in creating the right environment for the bearing to do its job without wearing out. This oil also has to be contained within your engine so it can continue to do its job keeping things lubricated. This is where your rear main seal comes in. The rear main seal allows the crankshaft to exit your engine case so it can bolt to your flywheel or flex plate and transfer its energy into your transmission. The rear main seal also holds the engine oil back and keeps it inside your engine where it can keep your main bearings lubricated.
If you’ve got a rear main seal leak then your rear main seal isn’t doing its job and you’ve got a problem. Rear main seal leaks can happen for a variety of reason:
Any of the above conditions can cause your rear main seal to leak because they can deform or deteriorate your rear main seal. If your vehicle has worn main bearings, the rear main seal can actually leak because the crankshaft is able to move excessively inside the bearings which will stretch and move the rear main seal while the engine is running allowing oil to leak past the seal. This could be the case from simple wear and tear if your engine has high miles, or it could be due to a low oil level or using the wrong type of oil. It is difficult to tell if your engine has worn main bearings without removing a lot of equipment, but if this is the case with your car, you’re most likely in for a full engine rebuild which would including removing the motor and replacing a lot of components, including the rear main seal.
If you have a leaking rear main seal due to high mileage, old age, or infrequent use then we have great news! BlueDevil Rear Main Sealer can bring your rear main seal back to life and seal your leak. BlueDevil Rear Main Seal is safe to add to your engine oil and can revitalize and restore your rear main seal to its original size, shape and softness so it will again seal around your crankshaft and keep your engine safe and leak free.
For more information about BlueDevil Rear Main Sealer, check out the product information page here: Rear Main Sealer
When you’re ready to seal your rear main seal leak, visit any of our partnering local auto parts stores to pick up a bottle of BlueDevil Rear Main Sealer today!
Pictures provided by:
main_bearings.jpg – by VX1NG – Licensed By Creative Commons Via Wikimedia – Original Link
rear_main_bearing.jpg – By Andrew Davidoff – Licensed by Creative Commons via Flickr – Original Link
