Rear main seal leak

[Scott S]

2013 Ford Edge 3.5 FWD real main seal is starting to leak, it is starting to blow backwoods while driving. It is not hitting the ground yet. I am not going through any oil yet in between changes. I am currently using 5W20 Mobil 1 synthetic. But it does appear to be getting worse... Someone I know has a shop. But I haven't reached out to him yet..
Is it easier dropping the whole subframe, or just pulling the transmission out? Anybody with mechanical experience on a Ford Edge know?
Thank you..

 

[wlk]

Have you tried HM oil and I would up it to 5w30 HM. Also you could try Liqui Moly Motor Oil Saver, ATP 205 Reseal or Lubegard Seal Fixx. QS HM and Maxlife has fixed a could rms leaks and valve stem leaks for me. Would try it before replacing the seal and see if it helps. Good luck

 

[Scott S]

Have you tried HM oil and I would up it to 5w30 HM. Also you could try Liqui Moly Motor Oil Saver, ATP 205 Reseal or Lubegard Seal Fixx. QS HM and Maxlife has fixed a could rms leaks and valve stem leaks for me. Would try it before replacing the seal and see if it helps. Good luck

Additives I will not try. Upping it to 5w30 is a possibility..

 

[Trav]

I am guessing but I think it has a Teflon rear seal, no whiz bang in a can or higher viscosity oil is going to have much effect on it anyway. Personally if the leak isn't bad and you are not adding oil I would live with it, the cost of replacement is going to be substantial regardless of who does the work. For a small fraction of the price you can probably buy more oil than it loses for many years.

 

[billt460]

The vehicle is almost 10 years old. I would just live with it. The main rear seal on my 1991 F-150, 5.0 V-8 has been leaking for about 20 years. I use high mileage oil, (10W-40), and it has slowed it down, but not stopped it.

Like you, I won't use additives. I just bought a couple of those big drip pans to put under the engine and trans. After almost 3 years I might get a Martini glass full, if I were to drain it all out. Not worth tearing so much down, and spending that much to stop it.

 

[PontiacHO]

Check the PCV valve and system. Are the drain backs in the heads slugged/clogged? Any pressure build up inside the engine will blow oil out somewhere.

 

[Scott S]

Check the PCV valve and system. Are the drain backs in the heads slugged/clogged? Any pressure build up inside the engine will blow oil out somewhere.

PCV is all new

 

[Scott S]

I am guessing but I think it has a Teflon rear seal, no whiz bang in a can or higher viscosity oil is going to have much effect on it anyway. Personally if the leak isn't bad and you are not adding oil I would live with it, the cost of replacement is going to be substantial regardless of who does the work. For a small fraction of the price you can probably buy more oil than it loses for many years.

Have you ever worked on these personally?

 

[PontiacHO]

PCV is all new

Good. Have you held your hand over the PCV inlet pipe to see if there is positive vacuum? If not then it may be a slugged engine that builds up crankcase pressure and forces oil out the rear crankshaft seal.

 

[Scott S]

Unable to run this engine and check it, because you have to remove the upper plenum to replace PCV on this vehicle..

 

[Trav]

Have you ever worked on these personally?

Only one with 2.0 not the 3.5.

 

[Scott S]

Only one with 2.0 not the 3.5.

Yeah I was just curious, what would be easier, pulling the transmission or the whole sub frame if I was going to do it?

 

[JamesBond]

Anecdotal evidence. I had a rear main seal leak on a car several years ago that slowed to a stop when switching to Pennzoil and Pennzoil hm oils. Different car different engine and probably a different oil formulation than what is available today but it happened. I was prepared to live with the leak and wasn’t trying to fix it but I had these oil’s on my shelf. I’d try them again in a second before going to the expense of replacing the seal.

 

[billt460]

Anecdotal evidence. I had a rear main seal leak on a car several years ago that slowed to a stop when switching to Pennzoil and Pennzoil hm oils.

Someone on this forum told me that Pennzoil High Mileage Oil had more anti leak, seal swelling stuff in it. I have a good supply of Mobil 1 High Mileage on hand. When I get through that, I'm going to try the Pennzoil High Mileage and see if it works any better.

 

[Scott S]

Someone on this forum told me that Pennzoil High Mileage Oil had more anti leak, seal swelling stuff in it. I have a good supply of Mobil 1 High Mileage on hand. When I get through that, I'm going to try the Pennzoil High Mileage and see if it works any better.

I was thinking about Mobil 1 High mileage

 

[dan_erickson]

Pennzoil HM really slowed down a valve cover leak on the old Fusion and then it was totaled.

 

[LowMilesLesabre]

Someone on this forum told me that Pennzoil High Mileage Oil had more anti leak, seal swelling stuff in it. I have a good supply of Mobil 1 High Mileage on hand. When I get through that, I'm going to try the Pennzoil High Mileage and see if it works any better.

I too had success with running high mileage oil in my 99 LeSabre 3800 V6 which had a moderate oil leak. Although I was initially skeptical and just assumed it was marketing fluff, they had a high mileage version of the Castrol that I put in that engine and so I used it. After the first OCI, no change. I used it again and after the second OCI, still no change. But I ran this oil a third OCI and lo and behold the leak stopped completely. OCIs were all approximately 5000 miles. I don’t think we can assume that every oil leak in every engine type etc. will respond to a high mileage oil but there’s no harm in trying it and if it works, that’s one heck of an oil leak repair bargain in my book.

 

[billt460]

Again I heard someone here say a while back that some guys run High Mileage Oil from the get go, even in a new vehicle, because it is made from, "better stock". I'm not sure if that is true or not. Perhaps Overkill or Mola Kule can chime in here and give us the facts on this stuff.

 

[Trav]

Yeah I was just curious, what would be easier, pulling the transmission or the whole sub frame if I was going to do it?

On a lift probably just the transmission. with my luck I would get it all done then next year the trans goes out and have to do it all over.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

My late dad's old Chevrolet Silverado pickup has had a significant rear main seal leak since before he passed away over 10 years ago. No additive I have tried made a difference. So about additives, don't bother.

In general I've had no luck with any leak-stop agent, whether in the engine, cooling system, transmission, what have you. Many of them can do more harm than good, such as cooling system leak-stop clogging a radiator.