Snake Skin Green Challenger Restoration

[magoo426]

Well with the help from a friend who knows a crap ton more about engines than I do, the engine was fired up and ran well!!!

Overall it went good, except for 2 items. 

(1) I'm having a little trouble getting it to idle right, we'll work on that a little more in the next day or so. 

(2) It looks like I have a oil leak coming possibly from the rear main oil seal, grrrrrrr!  How hard is it to replace one of these while the engine is installed in the car?  I've already accepted that I'll need to pull the oil pan and remove the transmission, that's fine, I can handle that.  However I have no experience (obviously) replacing the seal back there.  Any suggestions or tips for this operation?

Thanks!

[anlauto]

Transmission can stay in !

[BFM_Cuda]

  no need to pull the transmission.

Its not a technically difficult job, but can be messy and a chore to do on your back on the garage floor. You have a lift right? If so, you have it made for this job!
Get the pan off and keep things clean. It may help to pull the #5 bearing cap off for more working room with the upper seal half. I don't have a step by step for you, but its pretty much remove and replace. Just try to get the seal retainer and gasket surfaces clean before resealing things up.

I struggled with the seal in my superbee one summer and had the seal out at least 6 times trying to get it fixed. Turned out the block was poorly machined and I had to add a shim behind the seal to push it against the crankshaft...ugh.   

[4406v]

Rumor has it there's a "new" one piece seal being offered for big blocks. While the motor is out of the Challenger this winter I'm going to put one in. If you're going through the trouble to fix it might as well do it once.

[magoo426]

Does anyone have recommendations from where to purchase a new seal? 

The more detail the better.

Thanks!

[dfrazz]

Does anyone have recommendations from where to purchase a new seal? 

The more detail the better.

Thanks!

Dave from Roseville has the right seal.  I did this on my 440 and added a windage tray while I was at it.  It is not difficult to do, especially with a lift.  The one tricky part was keeping the top part of the seal in place while installing the bottom part because the top kept sliding out on one side.  Eventually it stayed and then I gooped the crap out of it with black RTV.

[magoo426]

Is this the kit that you used dfrazz?

[BFM_Cuda]

Fel-Pro makes a good one, and its probably the one stocked at your local auto parts store.   

[anlauto]

I would start with the billet aluminum holder first and ditch the stock unit

[magoo426]

Hi anlauto. Any recommendations on where or who to get billet aluminum holder?  What are the advantages of doing this?

Thanks!

[73440]

Rumor has it there's a "new" one piece seal being offered for big blocks. While the motor is out of the Challenger this winter I'm going to put one in. If you're going through the trouble to fix it might as well do it once.

Is this the one you are referring to ?
http://www.fastfishautoparts.com/Performance-Engine-Seals.html

[BFM_Cuda]

Is this the one you are referring to ?
http://www.fastfishautoparts.com/Performance-Engine-Seals.html

$80 !!??      wow...

[magoo426]

I agree, wow to! I emailed them asking for the instructions on how to install it. Im not sure how that would work with the crank still in the engine if it is a one piece design. But for 80 bucks it better work! I want to see their installation instructions before i think about buying that.

[roadman5312]

          It says make a single cut, lubricate and spread around crankshaft.      So I'm assuming you cut it and put the cut at the top                                         

[BFM_Cuda]

Any recommendations on where or who to get billet aluminum holder?  What are the advantages of doing this?

I bought the one from 440 source, here.... http://store.440source.com/Rear-Main-Seal-Cap-Billet-Aluminum/productinfo/200-1031/
when dealing with my superbee issue. The nice thing about it is it fits tighter to the side of the engine block, making it easier to seal the sides. The bad, it sits very close to the #5 bearing cap and I thought it may have been retaining oil and pressurizing the space between the bearing and rear seal, because my leak got worse with it installed. I had a guy at work machine an area on it for drainage and that took care of it. I havent heard of any one else having problems with them, so I was probably a fluke, who knows....