ooh180 Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 Hi Fam! I've got a minor rear main seal leak - yet noticeable (mostly just bubbles on bell housing). I'm planning on replacing the seal in the future and I know its the best way and the right way to go ahead with it. On that note, has anybody used Valvoline Maxlife engine oil? apparently it reduces, if not completely stop rear main seal leaks? There are also 'rear main seal repair' additives. Definitely not a fan of adding additives with engine oil. but has anybody gone down this path? How bad does a rear main seal leak need to be to be taken seriously? While we are on the topic of engine oil. Anybody using 20w-50 grade oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackFletcher Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 Hi Fam! I've got a minor rear main seal leak - yet noticeable (mostly just bubbles on bell housing). I'm planning on replacing the seal in the future and I know its the best way and the right way to go ahead with it. On that note, has anybody used Valvoline Maxlife engine oil? apparently it reduces, if not completely stop rear main seal leaks? There are also 'rear main seal repair' additives. Definitely not a fan of adding additives with engine oil. but has anybody gone down this path? How bad does a rear main seal leak need to be to be taken seriously? While we are on the topic of engine oil. Anybody using 20w-50 grade oil?I currently have in Valvoline maxlife full synthetic high mileage 5w 30 . It was the first thing put in the truck when I got it because I heard it was tough on sludge. I didn’t have any way of knowing how often the previous owner changed oil and if there was sludge or not. So far it hasn’t wowed me but it’s a decent oil. My rear main seal area has a slight damp look to it which makes me think it will go in a few years but for now I am fine. I do not plan on continuing to run Valvoline simply because I’m a sucker for premium oils but go ahead and try it out see if it works! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakzackzachary Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 Are you sure it's the RMS? I thought I might have one, but I replaced the passenger side valve cover gasket (and passenger camshaft seal) and so far my leak has been gone! It was puddling up on the bottom of the bell housing as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooh180 Posted March 22, 2019 Author Share Posted March 22, 2019 17 minutes ago, JackFletcher said: I currently have in Valvoline maxlife full synthetic high mileage 5w 30 . It was the first thing put in the truck when I got it because I heard it was tough on sludge. I didn’t have any way of knowing how often the previous owner changed oil and if there was sludge or not. So far it hasn’t wowed me but it’s a decent oil. My rear main seal area has a slight damp look to it which makes me think it will go in a few years but for now I am fine. I do not plan on continuing to run Valvoline simply because I’m a sucker for premium oils but go ahead and try it out see if it works! I think I might give it a go and see how it performs. I can only buy box worth in Oz. Not very popular and will need to be special order. Just dont want to buy 20L worth and not perform as expected. 13 minutes ago, zakzackzachary said: Are you sure it's the RMS? I thought I might have one, but I replaced the passenger side valve cover gasket (and passenger camshaft seal) and so far my leak has been gone! It was puddling up on the bottom of the bell housing as well. My thoughts as well. Took it to my mechanic and he also said its the rear main. No signs of a leaky cover gasket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackFletcher Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 My thoughts as well. Took it to my mechanic and he also said its the rear main. No signs of a leaky cover gasket. I would say the oil is not worth going out of your way for. If it’s easy for you to get go ahead , but don’t expect to notice a big difference compared to other full synthetics. Just my two sense but if you did do the research and it does help with leaks might as well try! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 I'm running 5w30 maxlife in mine too, mostly because it was cheap. The engine seems to like it just fine, but it still leaks a little. I wouldn't expect any oil to work miracles on worn-out seals. Thicker oil probably won't change the leakage that much, and at some point you're just giving the oil pump a bad time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltaR50 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 i also have a leak. on my 01. just didnt have the time and place to fix it. but i do believe its not the rear main seal is leaking. it could be the rear oil pan seal which is a rubber. it dries out over time and cracks. how i figured it is if its parks while the front is towards the downhill it doesnt leak. regardless of angle it should leak if its a rear main seal. just a thought 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooh180 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Share Posted March 25, 2019 Thank you all for your input on this matter! Think I might leave it for now and consider changing it either when I have to remove the trans or when and if it gets a lot worse! Appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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