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Rear Main Seal 200

My 240 has been leaking oil from the rear main seal for about 5 years now, and I moniter it weekly and keep the oil levels fine. But I've decided to start saving some extra cash and get this replaced, although it may take another 6 months to actually save enough cash...but I would like to start parking it in the driveway. My question to you is. How much should I expect to pay for this? I had my '85 240s replaced about 3 years ago for about 400 bucks! I'm guessing the prices have gone up.








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    something else to try. 200

    I don't know how bad the seal is by now, but I found this in the FAQ's when reading how to unclog my oil separator. this may help.

    "...Replace the oil separator before going after the rear main seal leak. In many cases, the immediate drop in crankcase pressure will be sufficient to seal up the leak on its own. "

    I have heard this part is around $40 with the o-ring and sealant. Read the FAQ's if you want to know how to unclog it first. worth a shot first and if nothing else, you know it won't be creating excess pressure to blow future seals.








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    Rear Main Seal 200

    Howdy Bill... this really is not too bad of a job to do...If you are not up to it then contact your local technical college and talk with the automotive repair instructor... If you buy the parts and a manual I am sure they will do the job for you at a very reasonable price.... plus, some students will benefit from the learning experience...
    Good luck, Walt








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    Rear Main Seal 200

    You might consider replacing it yourself. It can be done with the engine remaining in the car; you have to remove the transmission first. The whole job is not easy but not impossibly difficult.

    First, though, check the valve cover gasket, rear cam seal, oil vapor breather box (below the flame trap), oil filler cap gasket, oil seals in the timing belt path, and the oil pan gasket. All can be readily checked and replaced with the engine in the car and are prone to failure before the rear seal.
    --
    -- Bruce / '82 244 (315k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854








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      Rear Main Seal 200

      Are you sure the flame trap and black oil seperator box are absolutely clear? Crankcase pressure build-up caused by ventilation blockages is by far the most common cause of oil leakages.








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        Rear Main Seal 200

        Cliff,

        Is there an easy way for me to check that? I was told by a local mechanic that it was leaking from the rear main seal...he's the same guy that charged me 400 bucks on my '91's RMS. It so hard to trust mechanics these days.








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          Rear Main Seal 200

          Trivial to check. Just read the FAQ.

          1. The flame trap insert must be clean. If it's not, get another one. $1 at NAPA.

          2. The breather box must not be clogged. You can use carb or FI cleaner or other degunker to clean the inside with the box out. Just flush it with the cleaner, then with some fresh oil to get rid of remnants of the cleaner so as not to pollute the oil in your engine. Better yet, do an oil change a month or so later.

          3. The "Tee" or "Y" nipple where the flame trap insert sits must have unrestricted flow in the small tube that attaches to a small diameter hose going to the manifold. This tube quite often gets completely plugged and you have to drill it out clean. That's what I had to do.

          4. The small diameter hose going from the T/Y nipple to the intake manifold/throttle body must have unrestricted flow. Try blowing it with compressed air - it should pose virtually no restriction. If the hose is old, it's brittle so just replace it - you can get vacuum hose say at NAPA for $.50 a foot or so.

          5. The brass fitting where the hose plugs into the manifold/throttle body must be clean too. Use the the famous device (a.k.a. straightened paperclip) to clean the fitting if it's plugged.

          In case your PCV system was plugged, it was probably spewing tons of oil into the intake. That necessitates at least cleaning the throttle body and the large intake hose where the oil will typically accumulate on the bottom. You may also wish to remove the injectors and clean them - they will have some oil sludge deposited close to the jets. If you're unlucky, the spray cones will be distorted, or the injectors will drip instead of spraying. Better to get it cleaned - replace the injector o-rings while doing so.

          Cheers, Kuba







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