shortskoolbus Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 I had a small leak dripping onto the y-pipe and giving off smoke and bad smells... So a few weeks ago i replaced the rear main and oil separator plates. Now all of my front seals are leaking and the rear main is leaking again too... I didn't have any leaks in the front before! I changed out my PCV valve while i was doing the rear main as well, but i checked that the new one was fully functional before I did it. Any other ideas why my front seals would start leaking? And is there any tricks to installing the rear main properly? Since apparently I didn't... Some of the grease on the inside rubbed off on the packaging that it came in, i didn't apply any extra. When installing the rear main i took a piece of wood and worked around the seal and tapped it in with a hammer against the wood until it was flush... Did i do something wrong here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 could i have a #2 with more info please: vehicle, engine, mileage, etc? did you use a Subaru PCV or parts store? go with Subaru on this part if you didn't the first time. the rear mains are notorious for being difficult to seat properly. it's often recommended to not replace them unless they are wet. was it actually wet/leaking when you pulled the engine? they rarely leak. the wood block method and working your way around is not the way to do it. you want a piece of PVC, large socket, seal driver, or a few old seals to tap it in perfectly flush. also make sure the spring on the inner lip doesn't come out. and that it's seated the right depth and the crank isn't rusty/damaging the seal. you could have some blow by or something else, is the engine otherwise running well? any blue smoke ever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 The car is a 1997 Legacy L Wagon I replaced the PCV with an OEM valve, i went back and put the old valve on anyway since I tested it and it seems to be working fine anyway and I wanted to rule out having a bad one from the factory. I realize now i should have left that rear main alone... But i don't understand why all my front seals started leaking now also. Engine is running fine, I don't get blue smoke. It's all leaks. I get like 5 drops after i park, 3-4 in the front off of the t-belt cover and then a big one from the jack plate which is coming from the rear main. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Yea - don't touch the rear main. I don't believe that you answered the question on what brand of seals that you did use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Yea - don't touch the rear main. I don't believe that you answered the question on what brand of seals that you did use. I'll never touch the rear main again... I should have just changed the oil separator. Damn me. I used OEM seals. Mileage is about 100k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 maybe pull all the PCV hoses and make sure something isn't clogged? sounds like the crankcase is over-pressurized. i had an XT6 like that, it was so bad that oil was coming out from the bolts that hold the case halves together!!! i replaced a lot of stuff, though i never found out why. it ran and drove really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 you probably drove the rear main in past being flush, installed it too far.. it may eventualy lessen the leaking, but probably not. It will need re-done. The first one I replaced because it was leaking, drove it in all the way, man it leaked for a while, but then the leaking pretty much ended after about 2000 miles. That car is still going and never used enough oil to ever go low (my old purple wagon) My BRAT, it was leaking so i replaced it, now its dry..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 maybe pull all the PCV hoses and make sure something isn't clogged? sounds like the crankcase is over-pressurized. i had an XT6 like that, it was so bad that oil was coming out from the bolts that hold the case halves together!!! i replaced a lot of stuff, though i never found out why. it ran and drove really well. I took off the hoses coming from the crankcase valve to the PCV valve, ran carb cleaner through all of them and made sure they werent clogged. There's really only a couple of really short hoses. I'll check the valve cover breather hoses tonight. you probably drove the rear main in past being flush, installed it too far.. it may eventualy lessen the leaking, but probably not. It will need re-done. The first one I replaced because it was leaking, drove it in all the way, man it leaked for a while, but then the leaking pretty much ended after about 2000 miles. That car is still going and never used enough oil to ever go low (my old purple wagon) Actually, if anything I think i didn't drive it in far enough because i had it flush with the top of the 45 degree chamfer, i've read it needs to be flush with the inner ring of that chamfer... Maybe because i didn't drive it in uniformly it didn't seat properly. Man i'm debating if I should do it again myself or have someone do it for me... i dont want to go through all that just to do it wrong again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Here's an idea. Update your profile so that we know where you're at!!! If you don't want to tackle this someone here may be able to recommend a shop. If it's a shop unfirmiliar with Suby's you might as well do it yourself again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Here's an idea. Update your profile so that we know where you're at!!! If you don't want to tackle this someone here may be able to recommend a shop. If it's a shop unfirmiliar with Suby's you might as well do it yourself again. I have a great shop but if i bring it there that means the subaru won... and my pocket is lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Okay here's what i would like to know. If the rear main seal is leaking, where exactly does it leak down onto? And how much of it would i see on the back of the drive plate? There's a possibility its my oil pan leaking... I cleaned it off, drove it around, and i can only see oil dripping off of my jack plate. I don't see any on the crossmember though, on the inside or outside... or on the oil pan. it just seems to be magically appearing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 valve covers are possibly leaking, rear cam seals. Can all be done in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Valve covers are bone dry. What is the rear cam seal? Is that the cam shaft support o-ring? It was leaking but I changed the one on the passenger side, will be changing the other side when i do the t-belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmithmmx Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 When I have a Subaru engine out I change that rear main seal like I would breath air. I made the tool with some white pvc piping. I took the old seal to HomeDepot and found the fitting that outlined it perfect. Then I just drive it in with a rubber mallet. I keep any eye on how far the old one was in. I always buy 2 incase I make a mistake driving it in. Rather spend 16 bucks to be sure then leave a new bad seal in. You need to pull the front timing covers off to see where you are leaking from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 On the RARE occasion that I need to do a rear main (which the local dealer doesn't even stock) I use a PVC collar as well. But I believe you are still asking for trouble doing them. The only ones I've done are from someone doing them prior. I've never seen a factory one leak. Weep a little - but it's always hard to tell due to the oil from the baffle plate. I'm usually working on cars with 100-200k on them. YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 What are you striking with the mallet? Do you put something on the other end to cap off the pipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I use a pices of scrap wood - a 1x6. I usually use a rubber mallett. Sometimes I need to switch to a real hammer - or a 2 lb sledge since it's flat on the side and easier to strike the wood evenly - no thard - but evenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vasy Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 One of the posts says that you used carb cleaner to clean the PCV hose. That reminded me of my story with my 2004 Toyota Camry. I removed the PCV valve from the Camry and sprayed carb cleaner into the valve to clean it. Before the cleaning, the valve was working fine and the car was fine. No oil leaks anywhere and no problem at all. I was just being diligent. Guess what happened? The first time I drove this car after cleaning the PCV valve, after about 30 miles of driving, I noticed engine oil leaking out of valve cover gasket and oil filter mounting flange. I replaced the PCV valve with a new OEM valve and oil leak stopped totally next day. In my case, it's obvious that the carb cleaner caused the PCV valve to stick, although I must say the sticking is not much because I moved the valve back and forth at an angle and observed the thing inside moving back and forth. Some of the carb cleaner you used on the hose might have gotten into the valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Ok so looks like only the front crankshaft seal is the one leaking... Is there anything i could have screwed up when doing the rear main that would cause the front crankshaft seal to leak? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 its a subaru, old seals will leak. even new ones will leak. I remember thumbing thru the records for my old Turbo wagon, and at 11 miles on the car, it was back to the dealer for oil leaks. Yes, 11 miles, a new Subaru was back at the dealer for oil leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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