Rear main seal or oil pan leak... Hmmmm?

A common fix of course...

How does one determine if it's one or the other?

I changed my Rear main seal a few years ago and there was no leaking from that area until a year or two ago when I tried to "cure" my blowby by using a one-way pcv grommet...

Bad idea... Once the pressure had no way of exiting the valve cover with ease, it started leaking from the rear main seal area...

I got under the rig yesterday and removed the oil pan and noticed that there was a 2-3 inch section of rubber gasket that although intact, it wasn't "glued" to the pan... just kinda sitting there... It almost seems like it was a section that never got RTV'd last time I did it...

is it possible my leak was coming from there?

Before changing out my rear main (I remember how fun that was) can I reapply RTV to the gasket (It's still intact) and bolt it back up?

I have the new rear main seal... So it's not about being cheap... I'd hate to change it if I don't need to.

Anyone else ever had this kind oil pan leak?

Gil BullyKatz said:

I got under the rig yesterday and removed the oil pan and noticed that there was a 2-3 inch section of rubber gasket that although intact, it wasn't "glued" to the pan... just kinda sitting there... It almost seems like it was a section that never got RTV'd last time I did it...

is it possible my leak was coming from there?

Before changing out my rear main (I remember how fun that was) can I reapply RTV to the gasket (It's still intact) and bolt it back up?

Click to expand...

It's worth a try. If it doesn't work and the rear main seal is leaking, better prepare yourself for an entertaining afternoon.

Whatch got to lose?

I say give it a shot.

Rev

I would go ahead and change the rear main. You have already done the hard part. All you have now is a couple of bolts and tapping out the rear main seal. Might as well, already there.
BSD