Hey i just replaced the rear main seal on my 99 gs eclispe. cost 600 dollars. i thought the problem was fixed but oil is still buring on the bottom of the cadaiilic converter from somewhere. i then replaced the value cover gasket, the ops switch and that still didnt fix the problem, i believe its either the real main was not done right or something else is causing it to leak, oh and its automatic. thanks TYLER

Inside the oil pan. It is driven from the cam gear.

Until the engine is sealed you will not know how much oil is burned. Price the parts. Difference too in whether its a 4x4 or easy access 2 wheel drive.

Check rear seal type to see if it can be changed by pulling trans and flywheel. If stick shift, probably good idea to replace clutch disc to verify not oil soaked. If automatic, oil is no consequence.

Kind of matters how much is wrong. With trans out, some rear engine seals can be replaced without removing oil pan. But if bearings are bad, on 2 wheel drive you may be able to squeeze off oil pan and check bottom of bearings.

You can do poor man's bearing job with plastic-gage. Rod bearings can probable be switched 100%. Main bearings lower cap can be serviced with upper 1/2 left in place. Not ideal, but can save from pulling motor.

Value depends on whether your Labor is free. You have a 14 Year ol truck. Depends on what you already replaced to maintain it or what else it will need. You could need rings after working on the bottom end even with a poor man's bearing job. Plastic Gage can tell you the size you need for each bearing. Then keep track and only buy individual sizes.

If you could find a wrecked truck with a good engine, places like carparts.com have a good multilist. Rule of thumb is different for each person. I would look hard at spending 1/2 of what truck is worth to fix it, knowing other things are wrong.

which seal? front crankshaft seal,rear crankshaft seal,oil pan seal, there are several more.

Hello if it is the rear main seal leaking oil, it would be much more than 200 dollars. the rear main seal replacement requires the transmission to be removed. this can cost as much as $1000.00

With any leak it should be fixed as soon as possible as far as cost, that will depend on teh shop you take it to and which method they use to replace it. They typically have 2 options, pull the transmission and replace it from the outside or pull the motor and replace the seal. Typically a Transmission shop will charge you about $600 to $800 to remove and install a Transmission plus the cost of the part and the labor to install the new seal.

sea foam makes an additive for reconditioning seals in the engine(rear main included)....cost about twelve dollars....use according to directions on package...then sell

i would say about $600.00 dollars, also alot of places wont warranty it because it may leak due to high mileage and worn crank, this is costly because the trany needs to be removed in order to do rear main seal. hope this helps.

If it's oil, it's coming from the rear main seal.. I would go with this idea.

The seal doesn't cost much but the labor to get to it does.

To give you an idea what is involved the procedure is illustrated below from the service manual:

Removal & Installation 3.8L Engine To Remove:

1. Drain the engine coolant.
2. Drain the engine oil.
3. Remove the oil pan.
4. Remove the engine flywheel.
5. Remove the rear oil seal housing and gasket. Rear seal removal 3.8L
   
   
6. Remove the rear main seal by placing the housing face down on 2 blocks of wood. Using a drift tool and hammer tap the seal out of the housing.

To Install:
NOTE: Do not lubricate the rear main oil seal or the installation tool. Do not touch the sealing lip of the rear main seal once the protective sleeve is removed.
NOTE: Use a clean lint free cloth to clean the crankshaft sealing surface. Remove sharp edges or burrs that could damage the rear main oil seal. Remove burrs or sharp edges with a crocus cloth.

1. Carefully remove the rear oil seal from the protective sleeve.
2. Install the oil seal onto the seal driver EN-47623 or equivalent by placing the seal at an angle and twisting until it is fully seated.
3. Install the seal into the housing using the seal driver EN-47623 or equivalent and driver handle J-8092 or equivalent. Apply downward force until the seal is seated. NOTE: Ensure that the housing gasket is installed correctly and that the oil passages are not blocked.
   
4. Using a new gasket Install the rear oil seal housing on the engine being careful not damage the rear main seal. NOTE: The plastic inserts are used in production and are not needed for assembly.
   
5. Hand tighten the bolts. Rear seal housing alignment 3.8L
   
   
6. Place a straight edge on the crankshaft rear oil seal housing flange and the engine block oil pan flange. Using a feeler gauge check that there is no more than .0004 in (0.10 mm) step on each side. Rotate the housing to make the steps equal on both sides.
7. Tighten the housing bolts 11 ft-lb (15 Nm) plus an additional 50 degrees.
8. Ensure that the housing did not move out of specification. Repeat step 6 if the oil seal housing is not within the specified range. Replace the rear oil seal housing if the specified measurement can not be reached.
9. Install the flywheel.
10. Install the oil pan.
11. Fill the engine oil and the cooling system.
12. Check for leaks

5.3L Engine To Remove:

1. Remove the flywheel from the crankshaft.
2. Remove and discard the crankshaft rear oil seal from the rear cover.

To Install:

1. Use clean engine oil to lubricate the outside diameter of the crankshaft rear oil seal and rear cover oil seal bore.
2. Install the tapered cone and bolts of a J 41479 or equivalent crankshaft rear oil seal installer onto the crankshaft.
3. Place the crankshaft rear oil seal onto the tapered cone.
4. Install the threaded rod of the J 41479 crankshaft rear oil seal installer into the tapered cone. Rear main seal installer 5.3L
   
   
5. Install the crankshaft rear oil seal by turning the handle of the J 41479 clockwise.
6. Remove the J 41479 crankshaft rear oil seal installer from the crankshaft.
7. Install the flywheel onto the crankshaft.

--- I'm not sure what the exact cost would be as the hours were not listed for this procedure on my online resource.

You say rear main oil leak.Could you clear it up a little?Is it a rear axle leak?Or rear engine?Just comment with a reply and I will get an auto message in my email.Thanks Greg

the seal itself is about $20 and a Haynes instruction book is about $15.
to do it yourself you are looking at about $35 and a days worth of work. I would rent a transmission jack too.

If you take it in plan on about $400 depending on what part of the country you are in.