I'm going to put the rear main seal on my new engine tonight and I have a few questions. When a rear main seal leaks, where does it usually leak from? Is it from the actual seal or the gasket between the block and carrier and if it's from the seal does it usually leak where the oil pan meets the block at the seal?
Another question I have is this.....I found the three bolts for the carrier, but there was also a nut in the bag with them. What is this nut for? Does it even go to the rear main seal?
Ok last question.....I promise. In the box of junk that came with my engine core there were these metal rails that look like they go between the oil pan and block, but I've never seen anything like this before. My oil pan gasket is a one piece part, and like I said I've never seen rails like these before. Am I safe in saying I don't need these rails?
Thanks.

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Riccioli Performance Motorworks

--RPM Racing--

-Currently building first ever engine. 383 with Super Ram plenum and runners, Edelbrock lower intake, Bosch 24# injectors, either AFR or Trick Flow heads, MSD ignition.
-Will be installing Baer Brakes
-Will be installing full Spohn suspension in rear
-Art Carr 700R4 trans??


***** Flyby: (n) When you let off the throttle after beating a ***** Racer by a few car lengths and he then blows by you in an attempt to convince you he really won the race.

 

i'm guessing you have a 2 piece seal, but most should hold true to a one piece seal. when a seal leaks it's usually at the crank to seal. i use permatex ultra copper silicone on the ends of a 2 piece seal and off set them a little away from the parting line of the cap. i use a little ultracopper on the bering cap. it doesn't take much, just smear a very thin laryer o nthe cap and bolt it up. the rails you're talking about sound like they go on the pan, not between it and the block, unless they're crank scrapers, but then you'd only have one.
i reread your post, is what you're callingthe carrier what the one piece seal goes in? if it is i'd say the nut is for a stud that is in the rear of the block. it shouldn't be hard to figure out, dummy everything up once before you use sealer and torque it all down.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Thanks for the quick reply, but I still have some questions. You are correct in that the carrier is the housing for the one piece rear main seal....sorry I forgot to specify that. The only thing resembling a stud on the rear carrier is on the side of the carrier itself. The carrier only has a dowel pin and three bolts holding it onto the rear of the block.
Now as far as these rails are concerned, I'm not sure I know what you mean by them going into the pan. They are definately not crank scrapers. They are basically the same shape and size as the rails of the pan. I would have thought that if they went anywhere it would be between the pan rails and the rails on the block. If not this, the only other thing I can think of us under the pan, between the bolts and the outside of the pan, but I don't know what the point of this would be?

------------------
Riccioli Performance Motorworks

--RPM Racing--

-Currently building first ever engine. 383 with Super Ram plenum and runners, Edelbrock lower intake, Bosch 24# injectors, either AFR or Trick Flow heads, MSD ignition.
-Will be installing Baer Brakes
-Will be installing full Spohn suspension in rear
-Art Carr 700R4 trans??


***** Flyby: (n) When you let off the throttle after beating a ***** Racer by a few car lengths and he then blows by you in an attempt to convince you he really won the race.

 

paul the rail you're talking about as near as i can make out go on the pan flange then the bolts/studs go thru it and the pan and bolt to the block. they to keep you from distorting the oil pan flange and to spread out the clamping force of the pan bolts. i'm too lazy a nd it's too cold for me to go to the garage, but i have a one piece seal engine on a stand and i'm thinking a bolt, or stud goes thru the pin, i think it has 2 bolts ,2 studs w/nuts. check it out and repost, i'f i ahve to i'll go over and look for you.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Ede, do the rails go inside of the flange or on the outside?
As far as the rear main seal, there are three bolts and one dowel pin that aligns the carrier. There are also two studs with those stars (opposite of the torx) on top that go vertically into the carrier. What are these for? Sorry to make you go into the cold, but it would be greatly appreciated.

------------------
Riccioli Performance Motorworks

--RPM Racing--

-Currently building first ever engine. 383 with Super Ram plenum and runners, Edelbrock lower intake, Bosch 24# injectors, either AFR or Trick Flow heads, MSD ignition.
-Will be installing Baer Brakes
-Will be installing full Spohn suspension in rear
-Art Carr 700R4 trans??


***** Flyby: (n) When you let off the throttle after beating a ***** Racer by a few car lengths and he then blows by you in an attempt to convince you he really won the race.

 

the rails are on the outside of the pan...the only thing between the block and the pan should be the gasket. it should be set up this way...block, gasket, pan, rail, and the bolt going through the rail, then through the pan, and into the block. i hope i explained this well. as for the seal carrier...i believe there are 4 bolts and or studs all together. it was about 3/4 of a year ago that i did this so my memory isnt 100% on it, but i know there is one stud definately, and it had a star (opposite of torx as you described it) on the end. PS i like the ***** flyby thing...

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350, Comp 262, Edelbrock Performer intake 600 cfm carb and exhaust, headers
-JVC, Eclipse, Pioneer, MTX, Phoenix Gold, Planet Audio

 

CamaroZ-85, thanks for the explanation on the oil pan. I got that covered now.
This carrier thing is killing me though. Let me try to explain it again. There are four holes in the carrier that mount flush with the block besides the bore for the end of the crank. One hole is bigger than the rest and is for a dowel that comes out of the block. The other three are for bolts which I have. Now here's the thing. On the carrier there are the parts which aren't round....let's call them ears. Now in each of these ears is a hole which faces vertically (not into the block). One still has a stud in it, and I'm sure one goes in the other hole. Now can anyone tell me what these studs are for? Also the nut that I found in the bag with my carrier bolts still doesn't seem to fit anywhere in this equation?

------------------
Riccioli Performance Motorworks

--RPM Racing--

-Currently building first ever engine. 383 with Super Ram plenum and runners, Edelbrock lower intake, Bosch 24# injectors, either AFR or Trick Flow heads, MSD ignition.
-Will be installing Baer Brakes
-Will be installing full Spohn suspension in rear
-Art Carr 700R4 trans??


***** Flyby: (n) When you let off the throttle after beating a ***** Racer by a few car lengths and he then blows by you in an attempt to convince you he really won the race.

 

the vertical studs on the "carrier" are for the 2 oil pan end bots, or nuts in your case. you should also have 2 studs just like them on the front of the block near where the seal goes on the lip of the timing cover. drop the oil pan on and see how it all looks before you get the gaskets on. if you have the little plastic pins for aligning the gasket with the oil pan you'll have to take out the male torx studs, if you don't have the plastic pins disreguard.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Are the studs in the front of the block necessary or can I use bolts?

 

you can use bolts, i like the studs because it helps to line up the gasket and pan and keeps everything from slipping around.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

And the answer is....

The rear main seal housing is held on to the block with 3 bolts and one nut. The one nut goes on a stud that is on the opposite side of the guide pin. Sounds like you dont have the stud. Im sure a bolt would work fine in that case.