Fel Pro Rear Main Wear Sleeve

[screwhead]

1993 7.3idi non turbo, Zf5-47, 4wd

Rear main seal started leaking again, from where the seal meets the crank. I spoke to someone who builds powerstroke engines and he suggested I should get one with a wear sleeve even though there is no obvious groove or wear on the crank. The only one I can get to me right now was another fel pro seal. I am curious if any of you have installed this type of seal before or any general advice on installing wear sleeve.

Out of the box the wear sleeve is already inside the seal and seems like it should not be removed. Should I use some type of gasket maker or silicone on the inside of the wear sleeve so it seals to crank?

Also any idea on where the seal should sit in the plate? I did take measurements from the original one I pulled out (something like 5mm) but it was leaking too and this seal seems thicker.

Thank you for your time.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Out of the box the wear sleeve is already inside the seal and seems like it should not be removed. Should I use some type of gasket maker or silicone on the inside of the wear sleeve so it seals to crank?

No, no, and no. That isn't a wear sleeve, it's an install sleeve. You have what I call the install dry seal because it says install dry on the seal. That means no oil, no gasket maker, no silicone, and no other products are to be on the seal or the crank when the seal is installed. This means a good clean up of the crank before seal install to make sure that nothing's on it. The install sleeve is to be slid over the crank to help the seal slide over it. Then, after the seal is installed, you remove the plastic sleeve and throw it away. I always remove the rear cover to install a new seal and then slide the cover back over the crank with the seal in it. I think it helps to make the seal install easier.
A wear sleeve, or crank repair sleeve, is made out of thin metal, probably steel.

 

[screwhead]

@IDIBRONCO I promise you that sleeve is made of metal. This is the one I have.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/FPGBS40697?ir=2&r-src=BR:PDP:SP:Aboveproductdescription&ppid=FPGBS158681

 

[screwhead]

To be clear on my other two seals they were installed as described above. Clean crank with no gasket maker or oil of any kind.

 

[screwhead]

I just don’t understand how that sleeve is going to go over the crank whenever seal is pressed into plate and then I attempt to install over crank. My first thought was to install plate and then drive seal in with the sleeve but that seems wrong too and likely to mess something up. Maybe that sleeve should be pulled from the seal and installed first. I can’t understand why they’d send it together like that then.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That must be some type that I haven't heard of then.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

So, according to Google, this is a NAPA only thing. I only got two links. Both to NAPA one in Canada, in French, the other in the States in English. This would explain why I haven't heard of it before. NAPA online isn't descriptive at all.

 

[screwhead]

I decided to just take the sleeve out of the seal. It wasn’t as stuck in there as I thought, was probably just too worried about it. I’m going to assume it was just in there to protect the seal during shipping and go ahead with install. Pick up has to drive 8 hours or so on Friday but I’ll just keep some extra oil in case.

@IDIBRONCO Do you think I should use the red loc tite on the seal then? Plan so far is to do so and carefully drive on with woodblock/mallet.

 

[Cubey]

So, according to Google, this is a NAPA only thing. I only got two links. Both to NAPA one in Canada, in French, the other in the States in English. This would explain why I haven't heard of it before. NAPA online isn't descriptive at all.

RockAuto sells that exact one in the "crankshaft seal" category.

You must be registered for see images attach

But then they also have a separate "crankshaft repair sleeve" category, for the sleeve without the seal and gasket.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[IDIBRONCO]

RockAuto sells that exact one in the "crankshaft seal" category.

When I typed the part number into Google, it only gave me the NAPA links. Not the Rock Auto one.

Do you think I should use the red loc tite on the seal then?

I never do on a seal. I do between the sleeve and the crank though. It may not make any difference, but I still put it on.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

When I typed the part number into Google, it only gave me the NAPA links. Not the Rock Auto one.

That's not the only thing Google's been hiding over the years...

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I completely agree with that. We have no idea what all it's been hiding or why.

 

[WrenchWhore]

If the crank has no visible sign of wear I wouldn't install a sleeve if it doesn't need it. Also, those rear crank bolts are drilled all the way through and require sealant when installed. Are you sure it's not leaking from there? That rear main seal needs to be straight when installed. They have install tools that make sure it's sitting in the correct depth and flat. I got lucky with mine and knocked mine in from the back of the metal plate with a block of wood until it was flush. Yes, you can do it without the tool but using an install tools would take the guess work out of it. One last thing those seals are specific to the sleeves that come with them.

 

[screwhead]

Thank you all for the replies.

My flywheel came with the new bolts with pre applied thread sealant, it leaked then and when I put lock tite on it. There were no signs of oil coming from the crank’s threads. From what I could tell each time there was oil coming out of the bottom of seal where it meets crank and maybe some out of the bottom of plate where it is curved and gasket maker is placed but I hope it was just dripping down there from seal. I will see if I have a picture of either time.

I installed it this morning/afternoon before seeing them. Ended up using a sleeve retaining compound on the sleeve and a wood block to hammer it in place. I was not able to get it all the way flush with crank but I saw that in another post someone had the same problem and filed it down so it didn’t interfere with flywheel. Not sure if that was needed but I did it anyway. I drove the seal in with wood block/old seal and as I did the other two times made sure it was relatively flat with a digital caliper. I put it at roughly 5-5.15mm measuring from the flywheel side lip of the plate. That’s roughly where the original one was.

The seal itself was much harder to get over the crank when I installed it where as the other two times it slipped on super easy. I don’t know if that means it’s sealed but I have high hopes. Letting it cure the full 24 hours the sleeve compound and gasket maker recommend. Will update as soon as I can.

 

[Old Goat]

Maybe something in this thread will be of help.

Rear Main Seal Questions

Ok. Finally pulled tranny to rebuild and fix significant oil leak from rear main. A quart of oil every week. I pulled seal mounting plate off and saw the crankshaft seal surface. What is with that groove?? That can't be as designed. No wonder it was leaking cause that spot is about where the...

www.oilburners.net

The Rotunda tools I linked to at the time were a bit
cheaper than what is listed now on e-bay.
Think I paid $35 for the rear main seal press.
Gave an excuse to buy the 20 ton HF Press.
In the Ford shop manual there is a diagram to make
the wood block to set the rear plate on for pressing
in the seal.
Basically a 1" thick, 12" X 12" piece of wood. I used a
scrap piece of Oak I had. And then 3 small pieces, say
2" long X 1" thick and 1" wide or so set at 12. 4 and 8
O'Clock position. (For you youngsters that were not
taught how to read a clock with hands...OH well)

Line up the fancy wood press block and the Rotunda
tool, and press it in, Will set the seal at the proper
depth and no pounding needed.


Note: Scroll the page up, at the bottom of every
thread is 4 or 5 related threads.



Goat