Rear Main/Clutch/Bearing Retainer Replacement

[HuskerNation]

Just ordered my new clutch kit, pilot bearing, bearing retainer, rear main seal, rear upper and lower control arms and my electric fan setup from LMR.

I am going to be doing the all of this on my 4 day weekend, hopefully will only take a day. Anyone have any helpful advice to keep it going smooth?

I do have a few questions. My car is a '93, original motor and I believe I have a rear main leak. I have done some research and I am having mixed information. Some sites say to loosen the crank bearing caps and push the crank forward, remove and re install, then some sites say it can be removed with a screw, and slightly knock the new one back in place. I am thinking maybe the first advice is based on earlier 302's, but I could very well be wrong. Anyone able to answer this for me at all?

For the pilot bearing, many people have been raving about using bread, and how its much easier than using a puller and cleaner than using grease, any one done this as well?

Thanks for the help and future advice.
Nick

 

[95Vert383AOD]

How many miles on the engine? Those 1 piece rear main seals aren't known for leaking. I would check the valve cover gaskets first. They are known to leak from the back.

 

[MFE92]

There is no way easier to pull a pilot bearing than with a proper pilot bearing puller, which you should be able to borrow from any decent parts store. Soap, bread, spooge, none of it is easier or cleaner than a puller.

Given the car is original and assuming none of it has been removed before, if I were you I'd get the car way up in the air and shoot some Kroil or PB Blaster on every threaded component you'll have to touch, especially the H-pipe nuts, catback nuts, and O2 sensor bungs, and let it sit for a few hours before attempting their removal.

 

[HuskerNation]

I have oil on the bottom of my transmission, by the dust cover. I assumed its a rear main, but if its not leaking, I am not going to fix something that isn't broken. I don't drop any oil, but I do believe it leaks when I am moving and warmed up. Not a drop on the ground, so I don't think its an oil pan leak, but I never thought of it possibly being from the back of the valve cover. Oh and its got 156K on the motor.

MFE92, It has a FR King Cobra in it now. It has around 20-25K miles on it. I have a chirping/squeaking noise coming from the Transmission. Goes away with slight pressure, so I know the Pilot Bearing is going out. While I am in there, I am just going to replace the whole clutch and flywheel, so I don't have to repeat this down the road anytime soon. I have had the H-pipe off very recently, as I did my Transmission Crossmember.

 

[f8tlfiveo]

MFE92, It has a FR King Cobra in it now. It has around 20-25K miles on it. I have a chirping/squeaking noise coming from the Transmission. Goes away with slight pressure, so I know the Pilot Bearing is going out. While I am in there, I am just going to replace the whole clutch and flywheel, so I don't have to repeat this down the road anytime soon. I have had the H-pipe off very recently, as I did my Transmission Crossmember.

That noise is not the pilot.. Most likely the throwout bearing. But it wouldn't hurt to replace the pilot bearing while you are in there.

 

[HuskerNation]

That noise is not the pilot.. Most likely the throwout bearing. But it wouldn't hurt to replace the pilot bearing while you are in there.

I have never had either go bad on me, because I change them both when I do a new clutch. From everything I have read, is when the clutch is not engaged, and you hear a noise, and when you push the clutch in and stops, its the Pilot Bearing. The Throwout Bearing will make noises when the clutch is engaged, and not when its disengaged, because its not actually functional until there is a load on it. I got this information from a Ford Technician, but I could have been given bad information.