• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

need some adive on replacing the rear main on my 90 xj

jeepster

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chattanooga, TN
just picked up a 1990 4x4 xj with the 4.0 for 600 bucks a couple of days ago. it runs great but the rear main was leaking and needs replacing. so i took the oil pan off and the rear main cap, but cannot get the top part of the rear main seal out. any suggestions? help would be very greatly appreciated.
 
jeepster said:
just picked up a 1990 4x4 xj with the 4.0 for 600 bucks a couple of days ago. it runs great but the rear main was leaking and needs replacing. so i took the oil pan off and the rear main cap, but cannot get the top part of the rear main seal out. any suggestions? help would be very greatly appreciated.
loosen up the next few caps slightly to give the crank a little movement, then take a punch and try to push it in a little bit so it slides out the other side, a pair of needle noses will then let you grab it and pull it out
 
I have read on here they make a tool called a sneaky pete to push out that upper half of the seal. It may be worth it since you have to install the new seal.

Also have read Fel-Pro makes a 2 lip seal where the Dealer seal has one lip. The rubber lip makes a groove in the crankshaft and that is why you have a leak. Wit the 2 lip seal one of the lips will run on the groove and the second lip will run on "fresh/unused" portion of the crank.

If I ever have to change my rear main seal I will use the 2 lip. I looked on rockauto.com and the Fel-Pro part number for the 2 lip seal is BS40612 and they sell it for $11.92.

The Special tool has the Fel-Pro Part number of 16312 and they sell it for $25.79. I would spend the money and get the tool just to avoid damage to the crankshaft.
 
Have talked to many people that have replaced that seal by looseing the next two bearing caps then then tapping out the upper half with a small punch.
 
I did not have to loosen up any other bearing caps. All I did was use a small punch very carefully tapped the old seal out enough to grab it with pliers and finished working it out. It will not pull straight out you have to work it around the bottom side of the crank.
 
If using a punch be very careful not to score the crank. If there's a Home Depot or a good hardware store near you, buy a length of 1/8" brass rod stock. Cut off a piece about 4" to 6" long and use that for the punch. Brass is softer than steel and if you slip there's a lot less chance of damaging the crank.
 
well i appreciate all the advice. used the advice and it came out tonight. put everything back together and ran the jeep for about 5-10 minutes and it looks like the crappy cork oil pan gasket is leaking in the rear. doesn't look like it is the rear main. sure as hell hope not. thanks agin guys.
 
replace the cork oil pan gasket with the new one piece rubber seal.
Dealership has them for sure, and quadratec also sells them.

Teron
 
if your just lookin for an oil leak you might check the passenger side of you block were the head gasket is between the head. i have this problem on mine and makes it look like everthing below it is leaking like the rear main and rear oil pan gasket. if thats not it get some engine cleaner and clean up the block and then look for leaks. if its a slow leak you might not want to. mine to is a 90xj 4x4. just thought this might help
 
Back
Top