Rear main seal DIY replacement

Has anyone replaced their leaking rear main seal on a 4x4 at home? I am thinking about doing this myself even though I haven't done anything close to this complicated before.

Edit: I have instructions and videos on how to do this. My question is if you actually did it yourself or hired a shop. Let me change this to a poll instead of a question.

 

Here, let me help:

https://www.google.com/search?newwi...114&sca_upv=1&q=tacoma+rear+main+seal&tbm=vid


https://www.google.com/search?q=tacomaworld+rear+main+seal+site:www.tacomaworld.com

 

i know how to search dude so I don’t need your help. Do you even understand what I was asking?

 

I have not done this, not on any car or truck ever. But I wouldn't hesitate to tackle it myself, and I'm sure you can handle it!

But even just the transfer case is more than I can lift, so I would invest in a good transmission jack, and lots of short 2x4s and shims, so you can get things into and out of position. Maybe screw them together to make a good fitting bracket. That's probably the hardest part -- and the easiest way to mangle the new seal, if you aren't lined up right for reassembly. I would drain both first, both so they're a bit lighter, but for the trans, so you hopefully don't get fluid raining down in you when you undo the lines. Not sure it will help, but it never hurts to change fluids anyway.

I would also recommend a seal puller tool, like a T shaped pry bar, and a set of seal drivers. I have done seals elsewhere on the truck, like axles and front main. You don't necessarily need these tools, but they make it so much easier, and reduce risk of damaging things. I would also recommend buying an oem part, for something so cheap but hard to access. And take a look first for rusty nuts and bolts, I'd personally replace them with stainless or at least new, and have a set of metric taps on hand to chase stubborn threads, for predictable reassembly with loctite.

You can find good info here and on YouTube, sorry I can't offer specifics, but usually the hardest part is deciding you're really going to do it, and investing in the right tools to do it right. Beyond that, it's sure to suck, but you'll have no choice but to soldier on, so you'll figure it out. Good luck.

Edit: I remember hearing positive reviews of the harbor freight trans jack, from a YouTuber that got banned here. I believe his name is Tim or Timmy. You will find his videos if you look. The thing I recall is that it has adjustment screws so you can level the transmission perfectly for reinstallation.

 

Thanks for your thoughtful answer.

 

yes

wasn't leaking. Did as PM while in there for a clutch. I forget the details which tells me it's not complicated or different to any other RMS.
Some RMS's you even make a tool to slide it on with a cup or soda bottle.

 

I second the recommendation to buy the heavier duty, grey colored HF trans jack with adjustments, not the cheaper red/white scissor jack. I own both, and for the extra money, it's far more stable, easier to maneuver, and easier to raise and lower.

You'll need like 6ft worth of socket extensions, possibly a swivel to break those trans bolts loose.

It's a pain in the dick, with so much shit to remove first, tight spaces, and being heavy. I wouldnt pull my trans just for the rear main unless it was definitively leaking. I did mine with the clutch and TOB.

 

My recommendation is if you don’t have access to a lift and plan on doing it, split the transfer case from the tranny and remove the tranny/ transfer case in two pieces it make them much easier to handle.

 

sounds like extra work. Any DIY I’ve ever seen including KFlo YouTube doing it on the floor use a jack with it together.

pulled my trans out twice. Never touched the tcase.

 

It's not that much extra work and if your solo it makes getting both pieces out way easier.

 

DIY all day. Rent, borrow or mod a jack to use as trans jack and the rest is self explanatory.

 

It makes going back a ton easier also, since the two together are ass end heavy .

 

Agreed.

I pulled trans, crawl box and tcase as a single unit and would absolutely do it the same way next time. Down once, up once. I actually found the weight of tcase and crawlbox helped to balance the whole thing on a flat part of the trans.



I always had such a bitch of a time trying to get the tcase to balance on its own on the scissor jack, trying to find the right combination of wood blocks, sockets, whatever I could find in the garage. I'd finally get it jacked up and in position, it'd slip, and I'd be cranking it back down to fuck with it again. No way in hell I'd separate them from the trans unless I had to work on them.

Everyone has their own approach that works for them.

 

DIY, and don’t waste your time on the Toyota SST to drive the new seal in it sucks. I used a 1/4” wheel spacer and that fit perfect on the seal to drive in evenly.