HELP!!! Rear Main STUCK

[F9K9]

Congrats, on your install Jess:cheers:

I have tried everything suggested here and everything else that a ""Upper "rear main" seal"" search suggests. BTW, this is day four for me with lots of excellent reading from here and elsewhere!

I have not tried a non brass punch nor am I inclined to. I have had several years of very bad luck since I retired from a luck filled hazardous duty position and had two very lucky tours in another unpopular conflict.

I know I will hurt my crank if, I get near it with hardened steel. I had a supervisor tell me in my final months before I retired that if, I had a pet duck, it would drown. I know all about positive thinking and all of that BS but, I am now a believer that I am paying the price for all my good luck in my first 50 yrs and I am now paying the piper.

I believe I am down to maybe four choices on where to go next.

1. Give the jeweler's screwdriver trick one more time.

2. Tow it to a stealership approx 1 mile away and hope they charge me hourly.

3. Someone can tell me that bronze punches from Snap-on are almost as safe as brass or

4. Someone can provide me with a source of stronger brass punches than what I have "used".

BTW, the broken punches were a result of several straightening procedures before they failed. It is a '92 4.0 w/160K on the ticker. The oil pan "fell" off and it had a one piece gasket if, that helps any.

Sorry to bring up such an old problem but, I hate paying a dealership!

Thanks,

Reed

 

[F9K9]

Congrats, on your install Jess:cheers:

 

[F9K9]

I posted this in an ongoing thread in the OEM section but, have had no "bites"

I have tried everything suggested here and everything else that a ""Upper "rear main" seal"" search suggests. BTW, this is day four for me with lots of excellent reading from here and elsewhere!

I have not tried a non brass punch nor am I inclined to.

I believe I am down to maybe four choices on where to go next.

1. Give the jeweler's screwdriver trick in the seal one more time.

2. Tow it to a stealership approx 1 mile away and hope they charge me hourly.

3. Someone tells me that bronze punches from Snap-on are almost as safe as brass..................... or

4. Someone can provide me with a source of stronger brass punches than what I have "used".

BTW, the broken punches were a result of several straightening procedures before they failed. It is a '92 4.0 w/160K on the ticker. The oil pan "fell" off and it had a one piece gasket if, that helps any.

Sorry to bring up such an old problem but, I hate paying a dealership!

Thanks,

Reed

I located a piece of three foot 3/16" brass bar stock today (day 5) at TSC and cut it up into sections. Don't know anything about metal but, maybe it's stronger than the brass used in the punches. I have sprayed the seal with lubricant, used a bfh, tried working the seal one side to the other, loosened all bearing caps, had it cranked while hitting it. I'm not under it pounding away right now due to severe T-storms but if, anyone has any other suggestions I'll buy you a cold brew if you are every over my way.

 

[F9K9]

Just an UPDATE

The 3/16" brass bar stock from Tractor Supply Company was the trick for me. 5-90 was dead on in all of the threads on this topic where he kept saying to get 1/8" brass bar stock and to cut it into 4"-6" lengths. I had prepared 4 months for this and seached my rear end off and had those POS brass punches sitting her for months waiting for good weather. I bent one of the nine pieces that I had cut from the bar stock. On the second 4" piece I broke it loose after approx. 20 minutes. I used the BFH method when doing it. I also tried the jeweler's screwdriver suggestion again but, do not know how much that it helped.

I have several sections of the brass left over and if, anyone is unable to locate a source close to home, PM me with a name and address and it is a gift from me.

Thanks for all the info located here!

Reed

 

[Markos]

Bringing this thread back from the dead since my upper RMS is stuck. I called it a day, so I'm going to try the screwdriver technique tomorrow. I broke one small brass punch, and bent two others. The seal isn't moving. I haven't loosened the other caps yet either, so that's on the agenda as well.

Interestingly enough, my oil pan basically fell right off after unscrewing the last bolt. Only took me a few minutes to fish the pan over the axle and out. No stick mess onthe engine block or the oil pan. The internals looked clean also. The oil filter was spotless. Strange since I tend to neglect my jeep.

 

[nates94xj]

The 1/8" brass bar stock didn't work for me. I wedged a tiny flat head screw driver in on outside edge of one side then the other, then pried the seal down and out with the screw driver no problem. Yeah! Then I shaved the seal putting in it. Booh!

 

[garr]

Bringing this thread back from the dead since my upper RMS is stuck. I called it a day, so I'm going to try the screwdriver technique tomorrow. I broke one small brass punch, and bent two others. The seal isn't moving. I haven't loosened the other caps yet either, so that's on the agenda as well.

Interestingly enough, my oil pan basically fell right off after unscrewing the last bolt. Only took me a few minutes to fish the pan over the axle and out. No stick mess onthe engine block or the oil pan. The internals looked clean also. The oil filter was spotless. Strange since I tend to neglect my jeep.

The Jewlers Screw driver worked for me,
My internals also looked excellent, I Guess even though I let it go longer than I should between changes (Usually 4-7K Miles) using Mobil one pays off.
What oil do you use?

 

[Markos]

The Jewlers Screw driver worked for me,
My internals also looked excellent, I Guess even though I let it go longer than I should between changes (Usually 4-7K Miles) using Mobil one pays off.
What oil do you use?

UPDATE: Jewelers screwdriver worked for me also. I worked both sides a bit then used the brass punch to get the seal out. I'm guessing that the screwdriver lets oil up and around the seal. I think the biggest help for me was greasing up the crank with assembly lube and turning it a full 360 degrees. This lubricated the inner surface of upper seal.