Rear main seal preference?

[Sycostang67]

Next week I start tearing my 93 apart to install the parts I have been collecting for the last 8 months. I took the week off work to get all the heavy stuff done. Doing SMF conversion, ES bushings and AAL's in the front, new brakes, GP controller, and a pushbar. I figured I would put a new rear main in as well. I have two options at work, FEL-PRO and National. The price difference is ony $5 so I was wondering which brand you guys would go with.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

alot of times you will see a national part in a felpro sleeve.

I don't remember if this is the case with these motors and national but i ordered a seal for mine and it had a metal surround which would have leaked. I ended up with a felpro seal with the upgraded material.

Leak free so far.

 

[ford390gashog]

I only want to do the job once so I buy the Ford or IH part which is a dry teflon seal and comes with the sleeve.

 

[icanfixall]

I only want to do the job once so I buy the Ford or IH part which is a dry teflon seal and comes with the sleeve.

Thats the one to buy and install. They install dry on the sleeve. Of course you seal the sleeve on the crank first but otherwise its an easy job. Remove the seal plate on the back of the engine. Remove the two hidden bolts under the oil pan lip too. Clean everything with brake clean. Use rtv to seal the plate to the pan rail and the block and your golden.... No oil pan gasket should ever be used on these engines... They will garnentee to leak. The factory never used a pan gasket. they used their own rtv and it worked great. Now a days there is much better quality rtv available...Like permatex ultra copper plus....

 

[Sycostang67]

I went to look at the seals today, and they are both completely different, the internal diameters aren't even close to the same. The Fel-pro had a normal looking seal and a V shaped gasket. The National seal had some huge bracket attached, and what looked like a paper seal with a metal sleeve inside. I guess I will find out what I need when it's apart. I would go to a dealer, but I have an account at work with a sweet discount. It's easier for me to make the payments on my account than come up with money right away. I need to get as much done this next week as I can since I took the time off work.

 

[mrbison]

Well I haven't ever changed out a rear main, but I can say that I just installed a new set of valve cover gaskets and a new gasket in my rear diff and they were all fel-pro brand. I've only gone a few hundred miles on them as of now, but so far so good (knock on wood). I would have to say that getting them from Ford or IH is probably the best bet though...

I will also say that in my experience with replacing any gasket - its best to bring the gasket you need replaced to the parts store if you can because IF you don't Murphey's law says the parts guys are going to give you the wrong one, and what's more they will probably be closed by the time you get back to return it. (At least that's what happened to me last time - I had to wait all weekend for them to open back up)

Anyway good luck with whatever you go with.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Just picked up a rear main seal kit today from IH. $122.50 later I have a leak free rear main on the donor engine for the brown truck. They arent cheap, but I've done rear mains in these several times, the ones I tried using a felpro gasket with I redid over and over again. Buy the Ford/IH one.

 

[ford390gashog]

Also the Ford kit is found online for about $60.00 if you can wait a few days for shipping its cheaper than local stores.

 

[junk]

I put a fel-pro rear seal in my engine. If you need the repair sleeve make sure you get the seal with a sleave. A normal Teflon seal won't work with a sleave. My Fel-Pro Seal had the same exact part number on the seal itself as the Navistar (IH) seal I removed.

Putting that seal in the back plate was fun. On mine the metal can of the seal fit tight. If you can get it open and see what you have before buying parts would be the best.