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Rear main seal leak on 1996 Tahoe 5.7
My wife has a 1996 Chevy Tahoe and when I got up for work this morning I noticed the rear main leaking. Does anyone know of a good additive I can add? I do not want to take out the Engine or drop the pan to try and fix it. Thanks for your input.
I don't know of an additive, but if you are using synthetic oil it can make a car leak oil because it is so much more "slipery" than regular oil.
Mars is entirely inhabited by robots.
I have never used synthetic oil do to it being thinner thin conv oil. I dont even use it in my race Engines. I had a 1978 Grand Prix that would sling oil out of the timing cover all over the passenger side of the engine compartment, I used an additive and it stopped that very large leak. Now the the problem is I can not remember what I used.Originally Posted by Big Wall
A rear main seal leak can really only be "slowed down." The only thing I have heard that actually works and some people swear by it is called "White Shepard." Advance Auto Parts on 10th street carries it and I think its around $50.
"But when it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark; and brother, it's startin' to rain."
If I could slow it down it would help just until I get healed enough to fix it the right way.
try the white shepard
"But when it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark; and brother, it's startin' to rain."
Please, don't use any stupid additives like "Stop Leak" (edit: Bars Leak, White Shepherd, etc. fall under the "stupid chit" category as well). It'll do more harm than good.
Do it the RIGHT way and replace the seal that's leaking. And before you write it off as your RMS, check everything to make sure it isn't something simpler like the oil pan gasket.
I have seen enough rear seals leaks to know what the symtoms are. It is unlikely it is the oil pan gasket with it being the newer style. It will not hurt the engine to put in an additive that helps soften the seal. It is not like adding stop leak to the cooling system, which I just replaced the radiator cause I had a leak in it. I also have the rear differential leaking now, it sucks every time I fix a leak another one springs.
LOL, a 1911 sniper and the Chuck Norris of the car world. Impressive.
What are the symptoms? Lemme guess... lots of oil leaking down the back of your engine, right? Could easily be an oil pan gasket, and you won't know unless you crawl under there and actually look at it.
And yes, more often than not putting a leak-stopping additive into a system on a car (be it the cooling system, the A/C system, power steering, engine oil, etc.) hurts more than it helps.
But hey, its your vehicle, do what you like.
It could also be the valve cover gaskets, the intake manifold, oil pan, oil pressure sending unit, or distributor gasket. Just to name a few. I'd bet it's the intake manifold gasket at the back of the engine leaking down onto the transmission or through the bell housing. Very rarely in my 7 years as a general technician specializing on GM trucks have I seen rear main seals leak. It does happen, but not too often.
Intake manifolds on 5.7 liter engines are notorious for leaking both coolant and oil. Also, cylinder head gaskets can leak oil. You would be wise to check thoroughly where the oil is coming from before wasting time and money getting it repaired.
Just my .02 cents as a former auto mechanic.
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