89 460/7.5, C6 Auto, rear seal procedure?

[grizz3000]

I have the oil pan, oil pump, maifold pipes off already.

Since I'm repairing the oil pan, I'd like to do the rear seal while I have the underside gutted (one of the BAD oil leaks was down the front of my tranny)

The haynes manual is fairly vague with diagrams/photos and I'm clueless which bolts to loosen and what parts (cap) to look for in the 'installed' state.

Any pictures?

Thanks in advance.

[rhandwor]

I'm not a 100% certain but normally on a ford engine remove the flywheel and the rear main seal is right their.

[unclebubbles]

Its been a while since i built a 460, and im not 100%sure, but i believe in 87 or 88 they went to a one piece circular seal instead of the two piece. If you have the original engine, it should be the one piece. You can check with your local auto parts to see which seal it calls for. With the two piece you had to pull the pan, loosen the main caps to let the crank drop slightly, take the rear main cap off, and remove the seal halves. the upper one can be a booger, they make a special tool for it, or you can run a small sheet metal screw in the end and pull it, or use a piece of brass rod to drive it out. Once you get it moving it comes pretty easy. Pay attention to which way the lip of the seal goes, oil them and rotate it around the crank into the groove. If you have the one piece seal, you have to pull the trans and flywheel , and the rear cover plate that goes over the seal. Use a punch or screwdriver to punch holes in the old seal, and pry it out. Be careful not to gouge the housing, polish the journal on the crank and clean everything good with brakleen or similar. Oil the seal and crank and preferrably use a seal driver to put it in. If you cant get one you can cut one out of plywood that will do, or be careful and just do it with a hammer, its easy to damage a seal this way though. You can pull the rear main cap off to verify which type seal you have, since you already have the pan off.

[grizz3000]

Got the new rear seal in. Quite easy once you get all the 'stuff' off to raise the engine and remove the oil pan. Was a little tricky getting the old seal top-half out of the block but I got it out. The seal is above (and in) the last crank shaft cap. No need to do anything with the tranny except unbolt the mounting bracket so the engine and tranny will rise as one.