Thank you for the effort. I'm justNOW wondering if maybe it DIDN'T get put in backward.... and worse yet, not even replaced the first time. I was just wondering if the crank is toast (like, is that a normal thing?) or do I attempt ONE MORE TIME with the RMS...

 

THANK YOU ALL for your input. I will try to figure this thing out. I will post reply when I have a solution. Y'all are good people!! Thank you again!

 

Okay, I said I'd write when we figured this thing out. Had the time yesterday (finally) we started at 1:00pm, pulled the pan back out (could they have put any more OR crammed that pan in there ANY tighter??) anyway, this is our third time and I'm pulling the bolts this time around. Got to the seal, removed it and sure enough, it was in BACKWARD. So yeah, most of y'all were right. Since my buddy installed the last two I'm going to let him hang for that but since he has pneumatics, I have to give him a little (hell a LOT of) slack.

With a few "breaks" thrown in for good measure and a run down to NAPA for some oil (I bought the new seal and new pan gasket but forgot the oil, go figure) we had her buttoned up by 4:00pm (Napa is a 15 min (MAX) round trip.

Thank ALL of you for your input. I was to the point of having it "cleansed" via an exorcism or just giving in to the fact that a hovel of gremlins had moved in. If it hadn’t been for your diligence then I might have missed the backward installation myself. (The groove side (lip) goes toward the FRONT of the engine, something I dont think I will EVER forget)

We’re still early with the install, only ten miles on the new seal but already there’s no new oil dripping from where she sat last night. I'm about to make a longer run in a minute or so, so if there is nothing further then all is well!!

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you all and I’m glad that I found this forum. I’m relatively new in this Jeep thing (personally, with my own) and I’m sure that I’ll be visiting again.

Once again thank you, especially; Caish, Scott_Sport99, James P, Gorillaxj


EB

 

Thank-you for the update, Im glad you got it figured out/fixed. There is a certian degree of satisfaction/pride in fixing, and maintaining ones own vehicle.

 

X2! glad its fixed!

 

if you have checked everything over twice and your POSITIVE that you installed the seal correctly. There is a very slight chance that the original seal had worn a grove into the crank and increased your clearance between the gasket and crank. Your second seal could have been designed just a little different to the point where that groove is now open. When you get back in there to do it again I would run my fingernail over where the gasket seals and see if you can catch it on a grove. If this is possible then you might have a bigger problem. Don't get to discouraged thought. I said this is a very slight chance. I have not seen it on a rear main. But have seen it allot on harmonic balancer seals. So much that there is a sleeve that fel-pro makes to fix the problem.

 

Great post! I have to do this soon, currently dripping, but not enough having to add oil. My daughter has it at school and will be a summer project. Thanks!

 

This happened to me after a friend sugested I switch to sinthetic oil. What was a slow leak became a run. I switched back to petrolium oil 20w50 and the leak slowed again after two oil changes.