Rear main output shaft seal leaking

[mountain lion]

I had a new SB daily clutch installed back in October and did the job with a local guru. We had planned to keep the original RMS in place, but it was weeping a little and he somewhat reluctantly decided to replace it with the new VW seal that came with the kit. We did not drop the oil pan (didn't know about that at the time until reading now), but I remember he put a bead of gasket sealer down at the bottom and used the plastic tool as it should be used.. New seal went in very smoothly and everything sat for several hours before driving off.

The guru told me to keep an eye out for any oil after. The area underneath the seal has been clean for the last couple months, but I was recently working on the car when I noticed some black oil collecting on the skid plate and saw it was coming from where the trans mates up to the engine. Looking up through the inspection holes by the flywheel, I could see some more oil and the area was noticeably dirtier. Some black oil around the bolts near the inspection holes as well.

So I'm guessing it's the rear main seal...damn. It's not a lot of oil by any means, but enough to have a few drops around the bottom of the engine/trans mounts and a film left on the skid plate.

Can't really say if it's coming from the bottom of the seal which seems to be common or if the teflon seal itself got folded up and it's leaking from there.

What should I do? I hate leaks and don't want my new clutch to get ruined from any oil, but being a minimal amount is it ok to just leave it? I'd be inclined to replace the RMS again despite the work and cost, but it seems to be a delicate procedure from all I've read recently. If we were to repeat the job I want it 100% not to leak.

Thoughts / recommendations?

 

[wrenchman30]

you have been hit with the if it aint broke don't break it, its really common for rear main seals to weep oil but if its not running out don't mess with it, if it had been installed properly it wouldn't be leaking now, it will only get worse, since you know what your getting into just plan on the repair in advance and keep a close eye on it in case it turns into a gusher

 

[maxmoo]

assuming it's similar to an alh, I would consider dropping the pan and carefully resealing the pan to block/carrier surfaces.....not that hard to do and may get lucky.
what "gasket sealer" was used before?

 

[mountain lion]

Are there any write ups or things I would be looking for if I dropped the oil pan? I read of some folks doing that in other threads, but not sure what I would be looking for or what would be found (except maybe being able to see if the teflon seal is on wrong from the inside.

I can't remember what sealer was used, maybe black rtv? It was a bead along the bottom of the seal housing on the pan/engine lip I presume. This was the first time I have done work on the trans/clutch so I was mostly watching and assisting where I could. The person doing the install has done the job many times. I can reach out to them, but wanted to get some info on what I'm dealing with first.

Thanks

 

[maxmoo]

Are there any write ups or things I would be looking for if I dropped the oil pan? I read of some folks doing that in other threads, but not sure what I would be looking for or what would be found (except maybe being able to see if the teflon seal is on wrong from the inside.

I can't remember what sealer was used, maybe black rtv? It was a bead along the bottom of the seal housing on the pan/engine lip I presume. This was the first time I have done work on the trans/clutch so I was mostly watching and assisting where I could. The person doing the install has done the job many times. I can reach out to them, but wanted to get some info on what I'm dealing with first.

Thanks

I've had good luck using the recomended sealer from vw....Reinzosil Universal Sealing compound
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/oil-pan-removal-and-hybrid-oil-pan-installation-mk4-vw-tdi-engine/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WpHWnVR99U

 

[mountain lion]

Thanks again for the info. So if I'm seeing this correctly, the area circled in red is part of the oil pan. This is the area of the 4 bolts that the tech had to remove in between the block and the trans to get the pan down.

The middle two bolts actually screw into the bottom RMS bracket as well?

The idea then with pulling the entire oil pan down is I can put a new/better applied bead of sealant that makes contact with the bottom area on the base of the RMS bracket to prevent it from weeping further. That's assuming it is leaking from the bottom part of the bracket and not the teflon seal itself. Is there any way to tell where it is leaking from or will it be visually obvious once the pan is dropped? And last question, is it worth to try? Job seems easy enough, just don't want to make it worse.

 

[maxmoo]

Yup you got it right....dropping the pan is fairly straightforward, and so is reinstalling it as long as you clean all the old sealer off and put an even coat of new sealer everywhere as described in the links.
The only sure way to see where it is leaking now is to remove the tranny and the clutch.
R&R the pan is a lot simpler and quicker.
I don't know your ability but I would try it before I would remove the clutch again , personally.
- It is easier to get a proper seal between the pan and the rear main seal flange by removing the pan than it is by replacing the seal flange with the pan in place.

 

[mountain lion]

Yep I could take care of this easily...I just put a new 5th gear in last week, this looks less involved. Just wish I had a lift

I'm not sure why he didn't pull the pan when we replaced the clutch, he was very thorough and had all the right stuff for this job. I guess dropping the pan is worth a shot, I just changed the oil though! Going to monitor it over the next couple weeks and maybe try this out when I have some time and can get a hold of some Reinzosil.

Appreciate all your assistance! Will report back...

 

[Tdijarhead]

Those two bolts that go into the bottom of the RMS in the circled are the two toughest bolts in the whole oil pan reseal job. You will need a long ball Allen socket or a wobble extension. Getting them out is usually straightforward, however be careful when you put those 2 bolts back in, do not cross thread them. If you start them wrong and keep tightening them, you will run the risk of breaking the bottom of the rear main seal. Done that, it's lots of fun.

 

[mountain lion]

Ouch, thanks for the heads up on those!