MAJOR 73 400 REAR MAIN OIL LEAK

[73sechgr]

after coming home from cruise in my 73 charger 400 CI rear main seal is dripping about one drop every second or two BUMMER,,,can I change seal without pulling engine,,,,,any tech help would be GREAT THANKS TO ALL

 

[WileE]

No need to pull engine. Disconnect centerlink from both tierod ends, and the Pittman or drag link, to swing it out of the way. Remove oil pan.

 

[furryfrog]

If it is the stock type rope seal, chances are you will have to remove the crank to to pull that half of the seal. I have heard that some people are able to get it out and roll another one in, but there was no way my 72 440 was going to let that happen, I had to pull the crank out. You could try to do it with the motor in the car, but may end up wasting a bunch of time.

 

[YY1]

I've seen people use a soft metal rod, possibly aluminum, with a smooth, rounded end to push the seal around.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[multimopes]

Before diving in on anything, I would check all the pan bolts and snug em up. Then, I would try a product called Seal Lube. It's about $10.00 and I have seen it work on front tranny seal leaks, power steering boxes, etc. ,with pretty bad leaks. Although I think there are more than one type available, they claim that it is compatible with damn near everything and doesn't change the viscosity of fluids. Even if it doesn't work completely, it could buy you some time!
Good Luck, I hope it works for you!

 

[bm02tj]

buy a 492 KD tool for the job

 

[Kern Dog]

I had what I thought was a rear main leak in my first 440 in 2001. I changed it twice, then realized that the problem was the oil gallery plugs at the back of the block. They were not screwed in tight enough.