Has anyone experienced a rear main seal pop out?

My x305 has a simply massive oil leak. I mean, absolutely epic, free flowing oil. Not a drip! I put in fluorescent dye and it’s pouring out behind the flex plate. I’ve read on the XJS forum that the later cars 1989+ with the non-rope seal can blow that rear main seal right out with excess crankcase pressure. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

The usual collection of manuals on PDF I have don’t cover removing the transmission. I did see a TSB PDF that Parker7 posted on another thread that listed the service time as 6.8 hours, but thats about it. I really wish there was even the vaguest instructions. Anyone ever located any?

 

G'day Jags,

I had my transmission rebuilt a while ago without taking the engine out so it can be done though some of the bell housing bolts would be difficult to access and the autobox would need to be well supported.

A further thought, if you are taking the tranny out is there any work that needs to be done on it while it is out?

Cheers and good luck,
Jeff.

 

It always amazes me the manuals have all sorts of arcane, obscure details but little to nothing nothing on the basic servicing procedures. I'm assuming two engine support bars to hold the engine up is the basic logic while the exhausts come off to access the tranny. Maybe talk to a transmission place and/or forums about how to get the tranny out since it's a common US model.

What caused the main seal to pop out, assuming this is the issue? Excess crankcase pressure due to what?

I'd love to see some pictures of the back of the engine in situ....

 

I will absolutely take lots of pictures! But it will be a while. The demoralizing tranny out leak made the XJS broken timing chain look like the easier work. Plus I already bought the parts and that area of the barn is easier to heat. Wish me luck!

 

An hour and 20 minutes later it’s off the studs. I’m just too tired to lift it.

 

Just a thought - are sure the leak is not from your flexible oil line up by the oil filter housing? The oil tends to spray rearwards and is pretty epic when the engine is running...

 

There is a flexible hose from the oil filter housing to the sandwich plate, is this what you refer to? That isn’t leaking because everything there is still dry and clean from when I had the sandwich plate off. If there is another hose I will certainly give it another look! It’s DAMN COLD out there right now. 5F

 

Yes there's two hoses, one in one out. but more importantly they are attached to two aluminum pipes that go into the filter housing.



They are held in place by a single bolt in the middle of this little plate squashing two o rings



If that bolt has come loose and/or an oring has failed that is close to the area of the rear of the engine.

Worth a look, hard to see without the subframe out...

 

All I want for Christmas, is for you to be right about this .

 

It's a long shot but boy you'd feel silly if you dropped the tranny and it wasn't the RMS! Happy Christmas!

 

Well, when I got my X305 XJ12 the previous owner thought the engine was shot, leaked oil and smoked a lot. We pulled the engine and looked at the rear main. The seal had popped out of the seat and was spinning on the journal. the seal was replaced and the engine is perfect. I recall it wasn't that difficult to pull the engine from above rather than the transmission from below. With the engine out you can also clean thing up and get good seat for the rear main.

 

Hi Niles, Thank you for input! I’ve been avoiding that car for many months. With the way my garage is, I think transmission out from below is the way to go for me. By chance I already have the special JD163 rear main lip seal installation tool…. Just waiting to give a **** about this car again.

 

Ah.......
Avoidance is not an uncommon tactic.in these matters. I have a 1967 Cooper S that I have been avoiding for years.
The engine came out because the worst was expected, but ultimately it provided the opportunity to clean and replace other bits that would have eventually problematic and difficult to access. . Then I also have the over head lifting facility that lessens the difficulty.
I have a Porsche 964 C4. This one I don't work on; my mechanic says the recommended service plan has the engine out at some interval I don't recall. You can't otherwise get to parts that need to be replaced.