Rear main oil seal — replacement
Note: This procedure assumes that the engine has been removed from the vehicle.
1. Remove the engine/transmission assembly from the vehicle, then remove the transaxle from the engine (see Chapter 7). Remove the drive plate (see Driveplate — removal and installation).
2. The seal can be replaced without removing the oil pan or seal retainer. The easiest method involves using a seal-removal tool. If this tool isn’t available, you can use a sharp knife to cut the lip off the old seal while carefully avoiding scratching the crankshaft. With the lip gone, use a screwdriver wrapped with tape to pry the seal out.
3. Lubricate the crankshaft seal journal and the lip of the new seal with multi-purpose grease.
4. Evenly drive the new seal into the retainer with a wood block or a section of pipe slightly smaller in diameter than the outside diameter of the seal (see illustration). The new seal should be approximately flush with the surface of the retainer.
14.4 Drive the new seal into the retainer with a wood block or a section of pipe — make sure that you don’t cock the seal in the retainer bore
5. The remainder of installation is the reverse of removal.