discoloration around rear main

[raaizin]

I have a '96 explorer with 162k miles and it is slightly discolored around the rear main seal. It must be the beginning of the rear main seal starting to leak. It isnt very bad at all and the area is quite dry. What should I do? Start using the Maxlife oil instead of regular oil.Do an Auto Rx treament. Or finally do nothing until it becomes damp around the rear of the engine.

 

[John Hilmer]

Raaizin,

I'm still a rookie but my take on this is that A-RX is your best bet. I think that you have caught this before the seal has been damaged and the cleaning that A-RX would provide may save it by getting it clean before any more damage is done.

If you have some it seems prudent to use it in hopes that you can salvage the seal. If you don't have any and must spend the $ my guess is that you could probably benefit from running the rest in the crank case or the transmission/stearing gear. For the opportunity to save the rear end for $25.00 I would go for it.

I fought one of these problems years ago with a thin sleve and new seal on a '71 IH PU without the A-RX option and lost the battle.

Let us know what you do and how things go.

John

 

[John Hilmer]

ER, I was thinking the pinion shaft in the rear end, not the rear/front main seal.

I would use the A-RX anyway.

Couldn't sort out how to edit, argh.

John