[driverds20]

Hi all. Nothing specific to post except to introduce myself. I'm a weekend mechanic like many of you, and do pretty much all of my own work, except when things get too wierd in terms of harness and computer control issues; I'd rather use a wrench than trouble-shoot an electrical gremlin any day. My experience includes stuff like shocks/struts/springs, swaybars, rwd clutch replacments (done 3), brakes, removal & replacement of intake & exhause manifolds, rotating accessories, hoses, etc. Have pulled and reinstalled the motor in my 1989 240SX twice (long story).

Next up for my Durango is a new rear main seal, which I have been encouraged to do myself both by the excellent procedures in these forums and by the $765 quote I received from my local Dodge dealer. Today I bought the new seal and oil pan gasket for less than $70 (that's more like it). Anything else I'm gonna need to have on hand when I start (single-use nuts, gaskets, that sort of thing)?

Thanks!

 

[05DodgeDakota]

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[4404spd]

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[RamThis]

Anything else I'm gonna need to have on hand when I start (single-use nuts, gaskets, that sort of thing)?

Thanks!

Band-Aids and Beer.

Actually yes you'll need an oil filter. One of the tras brace bolts wont come out with the filter in the way and Im not a fan of taking one off and putting it back on in case some damage happens to the seal.

Might also get a trans dipstick seal since that will have to come out as well. Should look like a short rubber tapered edged tube about an inch tall or so if I remember right. Or are you going to have to pull the trans back to do this? I've never replaced a rear main seal still in the truck but Im guessing you'll have to pull the trans back, and remove the TC and Flexplate to get to it right?

 

[driverds20]

Ram,

From the reading I've done it sounds like you can do the rear main seal (2-piece!) from underneath thru the oil pan. Remove the pan & and sheetmetal cover that closes the front of the tranny bell, remove oil pump, remove rear-most bearing cap, possibly loosen the next two bearing caps forward to get a bit of play in the crank. Upper half of seal is supposed to be accessible from below (you drive one end in with a punch until the other end comes out enough to pull it), and the lower half sits in the bearing cap.

I'm amazed that a 2-peice seal worked for 120k+ miles. Every other rear main I've done has been a 1-peice round seal you drive in (rwd Mazda, Nissan, and BMW with manual transmissions).

Thanks!

 

[CajunPW]

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[locogk]

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[Ram3500Dually]

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