Rear Main Seal Vodoo

[Swanicyouth]

So, the rear main seal (RMS) started recently leaking on my old Pathfinder. It`s 17 years old - so I guess it`s about due for something to start leaking. I replaced the valve cover, intake, plenum, lower oil pan gasket, & PCV valve myself in the past 6 months - all were weeping slightly

For those that don`t know, to replace a RMS you have to pull the transmission. And, on a 4x4 vehicle like this - you have to pull the transfer case as well. Also, on this particular vehicle, the RMS is part of what seals the oil pan. So, you guessed it - you have to pull & re-seal the oil pan as well....Doing this at home on the ground is just too much of a PIA for me.

So, I`ve been just letting it drip:



Im loosing a quart every 2500 miles (Mobil 1 EXP 5w30). The issue isn`t the oil lost, but constantly having to worry about dripping oil on my garage floor & driveway.

"Fixing" it is north of $2k. If that were the end of story - I prolly would just do it. But, back in the day, I replaced enough RMSs on old cars to know it`s really a crap shoot. You never know if simply replacing the seal will actually fix the leak. Some speculate this is from the old hardened seal wearing a slight groove on the crankshaft the new seal can`t compensate for. Could just be from old stuff being old stuff.

So, I`m at a cross roads. Dump $2k+ on a 17 year old car on a repair that may or may not work. Trade it it? Thinking about it. But, there really isn`t anything else wrong it - except some sub panel rust. Live with it? That`s what I`ve been doing for about 6 months. I would like to park in my driveway & not have to run out with a drip pan. Then when it`s windy - it likes to blow away. Sux.

Well, to the few who`s interest I kept thus far - I`m testing another solution...



Believe me, I`m from the school that says oil additives are garbage and don`t work. However, for $7 - there seems to be something to this stuff. Reviews on Amazon are about 3.5 out of 5. About 50% of the people claim it fixed their RMS leak 100%.

How could this be possible? Shills? Well, I did a little research and it turns out there is some type of chemical in this product that makes seals swells and become more pliable. The manufacturer claims it works on all types of seals: synthetic rubber, butyl, rope seals, viton, etc...

It says on the bottle it should take full effect within 100 miles. Since I know I go through exactly 1 quart every 2500 miles and use 5000 mile oil change intervals - I waited until exactly the point where I was 1/2 way through my oil change interval & 1 quart down to add it. So, I have a way of somewhat measuring the efficacy - bedsides trying to quantify drops on the ground. After a few hundred miles I`ll clean the trans / lower engine off with Brake Kleen so I can get a legit idea if the drips decrease.

The manufacturer states this stuff helps to fix all oil leaks - besides RMS leaks. When you open the bottle, the stuff is 100% clear and sorta stinks like gear oil. But, it`s not as thick as gear oil. The manufacturer states there are no "particles" in this product to clog anything - but polymers and solvents that repair seals. The manufacturer also states they recommend using it every other oil change or every 6k mikes.

I will also switch to some thicker high mileage synthetic oil next change (2500 miles). But, I wanted to use just this stuff first to see if it helps.

So, will it:

1. Fix it 100%?

2. Help a bit, but still leak a bit?

3. Have zero effect?

Stay tuned for the next few months to see.


****As a complete aside, when I bought this vehicle, about 6 years ago - it had a pretty bad torque converter shudder when the TC locked up in 4th gear. I`m even going to speculate, it could have POSSIBLY been misdiagnosed as a bad transmission - and that is why the prior owner traded it in.

So, conventional wisdom is to change to fluid and see. That is what I did at the time. I used the "Castrol Import ATF" which is a semi-synthetic (I believe) version of Nissan`s Matic J trans fluid.

No change.

Nothing.

So, at the time, I did some research - and there were all types of TSBs / posts, etc. that recommended replacing the valve body, electric shift solenoids, torque converter, transmission control module. rebuilding the trans, etc... to address this known issue. All with users reporting various results. Nothing seemed to be a know fix 100%.

Then I came across a $10 product from a company call "Lubraguard" (sp?) called Dr. Trannys Shudder Fix. Reviews were very good. Spent the $10 - and it fixed the issue 100%. It seems there are some friction modifiers / chemicals in this product that can eliminate torque converter lock up shudder. It seems conventional transmission fluids have these, but not necessarily enough to work on older torque converters sufficiently.



So, that additive I can tell you is 100 % legit and works. I just add some every 2 years when I change the fluid and haven`t had a shudder since.

[Setec Astronomy]

Very interesting.

[Lonnie]

Swanicyouth:

For $2,000 you can pour in ALOT of oil, even Mobil-1 at about $7-8 a quart! The "problem" is not only the stigma of having an oil-dripping, concrete driveway staining vehicle that you can no longer park a friend`s home without slipping your "bed pan" under it to negate this embarrassing problem, it`s the fact that a worn seal will eventually fail completely at a most inopportune time and leak/blow ALL the oil out, leading to engine failure or you or your significant other who is driving at that time being stranded along some god-forsaken highway or back road. It`s a crap-shoot, to say the least, if it is worth it to spend that money on a repair for a vehicle with that many miles on it and your own peace of mind on having a trust-worthy, dependable vehicle to drive. It sounds like you intend to keep this vehicle and the fact that you have kept it in good shape and that it`s paid for tends to make me think you are mulling over the personal economic decision of paying for the repair OR selling it as-is and using the repair money and sale of this vehicle towards a different vehicle. Not knowing what you will get if you buy a some-what affordable used vehicle (what costly hidden repair is there lurking after the warranty run out) or making monthly car payments on a reliable new car only adds to this financial conundrum.

I think you approach to a sealer is a good first step, but it is a Band-Aid approach and not a cure, kind of like taking ibuprofen for a sore knee that REALLY needs to be replaced. You can live with it for so long until it becomes problematic enough to do something expensive about it to actually correct/fix the problem.

[etnops]

Agree with Lonnie.

Chuck in a bottle of the sealer...see what happens.
In parallel, prepare yourself to sell the vehicle. Just a question of when...which may be a function of how well the sealer works, or how annoyed you are, dealing with drip pans.

Were it me, I`d be looking at new vehicles and trying to justify why I "need" a new one.

[MattPersman]

Never heard of or seen a rear main seal just leak/blow all the oil out at once. Not that it may have never happened just pretty unlikely.

IMO You get to a point where you just keep oil, gas, tires and brakes up to snuff on a vehicle and stop worrying about the little stuff on old cars and trucks. I see it all the time people want to get "oil leaks" fixed on 15 year old vehicles and you might as well quote em a new power train.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[xspwrstang]

I`d check on the value of your current vehicle and compare that to how much it will cost to fix the problem. Then I`d have a true indication on weather or not it`s worth keeping.

[Swanicyouth]

Never heard of or seen a rear main seal just leak/blow all the oil out at once. Not that it may have never happened just pretty unlikely.

IMO You get to a point where you just keep oil, gas, tires and brakes up to snuff on a vehicle and stop worrying about the little stuff on old cars and trucks. I see it all the time people want to get "oil leaks" fixed on 15 year old vehicles and you might as well quote em a new power train.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, that is kinda it. To me the only legit fix would be a reman engine with some type of warranty. Other than that, resealing oil leaks in old cars (and sometimes new cars) IMHO is a crap shoot.

I just don`t want to have to worry about oil drips every place I park.

However, al the leaks I did fix remain dry.

I can afford another vehicle, but have become sort of attached to this one. I`ve convinced myself to at least keep it til the end of snow season - no point in putting something new through the snow mess.

Made an appointment to look at a 2015 Xterra, but cancelled & decided to at least get through the winter.

Would be awesome if this stuff just worked though.

[Setec Astronomy]

Would be awesome if this stuff just worked though.

I`m rooting for it to work, too. After all, Bar`s Leaks used to work pretty well in my radiator when I was a kid, until someone said to me "why don`t you fix it the right way?" and I asked what that was-- "pull it out and bring it to a radiator shop", back when there were such things.

And just like your "Shudder Fixx", I too have experienced miracle products.

About a hundred years ago I became enamored of a motor oil I read about in Popular Science or Mechanics called ArcoGraphite. It supposedly had something special about it that kept the graphite suspended unlike other attempts at graphite or MoS2 in motor oil.

This was back in the day of carburetors and idle speed screws and every car I put it in...I think 3 or 4...the idle speed went up a couple hundred RPM and I had to turn it down...so you know it really was lowering the friction. Of course, every car I put it in, the diaphragm on the fuel pump (for you youngsters, cars used to have mechanical fuel pumps) started leaking...well, it either started leaking or I could see the leak because this oil was black as night. I always thought whatever additive was keeping the graphite suspended wasn`t compatible with the diaphragm material.

Anyway, if I was a betting man, I`d say this isn`t going to fix your seal leak, but as I said, I`m rooting for you.

[xspwrstang]

Leaking radiator back in the day...my fix was JB Weld. If you`ve gotten attached to her, it`s easier to fix it and not regret getting rid of her cuz of leak. I still wish I had my old Ford Ranger!

[davidc]

I`d check on the value of your current vehicle and compare that to how much it will cost to fix the problem. Then I`d have a true indication on weather or not it`s worth keeping.

Now the old coots perspective. Repair at 2k
Trade it in and pay 400 a month for 5-6-7 years, most likely higher insurance rate, more complexity to vehicle.
If money is no object do the trade.
IMO I would repair and see if a speedi sleeve is available in case a groove has been worn into the crank.

Dave

[Angus]

I`ve convinced myself to at least keep it til the end of snow season - no point in putting something new through the snow mess.

Made an appointment to look at a 2015 Xterra, but cancelled & decided to at least get through the winter.

+1. I had an emotional attachment to my 17yr old DD too. Surprisingly it never leaked a drop of oil -BUT- so many other parts starting wearing out it just didn`t make financial sense to keep it any longer. IMHO, I`d suggest trading in your Pathfinder for something newer come April.

[ShaneB]

Curious as to whether this works or not. Worth a shot I guess.

Have you considered switching to a thicker oil? Maybe 10w-40? That can stop leaks as well. Or maybe even throw in a quart of Lucas oil stabilizer. That could help as well.

[Setec Astronomy]

IMO I would repair and see if a speedi sleeve is available in case a groove has been worn into the crank.

I forgot all about that--great suggestion!

[Accumulator]

Eh, if you like the vehicle I`d fix it/have it fixed...properly.

I regularly put *MUCH* more into fixing our vehicles than they`re worth with no regrets as they`re not building those specific models/model years any more and there`s nothing I`d rather have.

[Swanicyouth]

I hear all you guys - I would fix it, do a sleeve whatever.

But the probs with the old Japanese vehicles is rust. There is rust creeping back in on the rockers and the quarters. To fix that right is major dollars.

While it still looks pretty good - the paint is super thin.... 40 microns in some areas. I have a few small spots where I`ve even burned through the clear with a DA because paint is so thin.