I would say it's very rare for one of these to leak as badly as you're worried about happening. Chances are it will continue to leak slowly for the life of the vehicle. My 05 4.8 is also, it's difficult to be 100% sure it's the rear main until you remove the transmission. Mine goes through more like 1qt per 2k miles and it's still no big deal.
when do i HAVE to change a rear main seal?
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I would say it's very rare for one of these to leak as badly as you're worried about happening. Chances are it will continue to leak slowly for the life of the vehicle. My 05 4.8 is also, it's difficult to be 100% sure it's the rear main until you remove the transmission. Mine goes through more like 1qt per 2k miles and it's still no big deal.
My old Accord had a leaking rear main seal, it never got catastrophic and I tried several brands of HM oil but it did nothing. I'm a bit obsessive about leaky vehicles (even with my old cars) so I pulled the transmission and replaced the thing. Nice and dry now, the only bad thing is that components under the vehicle that were previously getting oiled are now rusting. But it's worth it to get a dry underside. Probably the only 1996 Accord in all of Wisconsin that's completely oil-free underneath.
The first thing I would do is verify the source of the leak. GM 6.0 engines have several common oil leaks that are much less involved than a rear main. The easiest way to verify the source is to put UV dye in the oil. That will make it easy to pinpoint the leak(s).
Very unlikely. The worst one I ever saw was an old rope seal that leaked a stream of oil down the driveway when parked on a incline and even that one kept going a long time.
I usually change them though because I hate oil all over the place, its not only sucks working on it but it deteriorates rubber parts it comes on contact with.
I usually change them though because I hate oil all over the place, its not only sucks working on it but it deteriorates rubber parts it comes on contact with.
A qt in 5k miles is no big deal. Buy cheap oil and keep a few qts in the vehicle. Yes it will get worse. Possibly, just possibly is the leak from above or forward. That is the lowest point that oil will flow to. Anyway, its a manageable leak.
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At 205 doesn't swell seals.I cant say if this engine uses a teflon seal or not but regardless I would stay away from strong solvent brews like ATP, the problem is when you swell one seal you swell them all. While unlikely it is conceivable it turns into a leaking nightmare.
Chances are it will not blow out just leak worse. If you only need it for 6 more months you could try this, it may or may not help but it seems to be the least aggressive.
Rear Main Seal Leak | Rear Oil Seal | Oil Stop Leak
Bar's Leaks Stop Rear Main Oil Leak and Seal Products Restores the Seal to Like New Condition. Our products are affordable and safe for all vehicles.barsleaks.com
Here is a GM rear main seal for your engine from Rock Auto. The white plastic piece just keeps its round shape during shipping and is thrown out.
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AZjeff
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Bought the '02 xterra in December 2014 with a leaking RMS. Tried HM oil and one of the magic fixes and nothing changed. It leaks about the same now. It's a big job that booked at $1200 in 2015. It will be leaking when I sell it.
Here is as good of a you tube video as any other. The hard work is pulling the tranny and also the transfer case if its a 4 wheel drive. Before you do anything is inspect the oil pressure sensor on top of the block right at the rear of the block and make sure its not the source of the leak. Good luck.
Haha, this was a revived two year old thread that some guys brought up from the past. I added to it and hope its useful for someone.
Snag.
Snag.
It won't ever blowout and drain the engine in seconds. It will just leak like it does. I would try a high milage oil. It fixed the leaks and oil usage on our old Tahoe with the 5.3.
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Certain chemicals can swell seals causing distortion or a gummy texture. AT205 isn't one of them
I cant say if this engine uses a teflon seal or not but regardless I would stay away from strong solvent brews like ATP, the problem is when you swell one seal you swell them all. While unlikely it is conceivable it turns into a leaking nightmare.
Chances are it will not blow out just leak worse. If you only need it for 6 more months you could try this, it may or may not help but it seems to be the least aggressive.
Rear Main Seal Leak | Rear Oil Seal | Oil Stop Leak
Bar's Leaks Stop Rear Main Oil Leak and Seal Products Restores the Seal to Like New Condition. Our products are affordable and safe for all vehicles.barsleaks.com
I have used this successfully on two LS vehicles with leaking rear-mains. Stopped my crown vic from leaking too, which was a much more impressive task.
So you refute the manufacturers own statement? Ok got it.
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Below is from AT205 website . Essentially, seals shrink over time which can cause leaks. AT205 rejuvenates them bringing the seal back to normal operation. The seals don't continue to swell or grow beyond the shape/size when they were new nor do they distort in any way.
When people talk about swelling seals, they are referring to distorted and unusable seals that occur due to breakdown within the seal. This is in no way shape or form the same thing
"AT-205 Re-Seal is a special plasticizer that rejuvenates seals and gaskets to stop leaks fast. It is a clear sealer that can mix with motor oil, transmission fluids and power steering fluids, and it’s multipurpose formulation provides stop leak coverage for a variety of systems
- Does not contain petroleum distillates, will not over-swell or breakdown seals"
