Tips for the Smooth 5. 9 Cummins Rear Main Seal Install
If you've noticed a growing puddle of oil under your truck lately, a 5. 9 cummins rear main seal install is probably sitting down at the top of your to-do list. It's a single of those work that every Dodge Ram owner dreads, not because the seal itself is usually expensive, but since of everything a person have to move away of the way to get to this. We're talking regarding a ten-dollar part that requires regarding ten hours associated with sweating and swearing to replace. But honestly, if a person want to maintain your driveway clear and your essential oil levels steady, you just can't ignore this forever.
The truth of the Work
Before a person even crack open your toolbox, you need to realize what you're obtaining into. The 5. 9 Cummins, whether or not it's the 12-valve or the 24-valve version, is the heavy-duty beast. Mainly because of that, the constituents surrounding it are also heavy. To perform an effective 5. nine cummins rear main seal install, you have to drop the transmission. If you have an automatic, that's great hunk associated with metal; if it's a manual, it's even heavier.
You're also likely to be working with the exchange case (if you're 4WD), the driveshafts, and the flywheel or flexplate. It is a lot of work with a single round part of rubber plus Teflon. However, carrying out it yourself may save you the massive chunk associated with change in shop labor. Plus, you'll know it was done right, that is a big deal when it comes to seals that are notorious for seeping if they aren't installed perfectly.
Getting the Right Parts
Don't cheap out here. When you're purchasing parts for your 5. 9 cummins rear main seal install, I extremely recommend going along with an OEM Cummins seal or the high-quality kit such as one from Fel-Pro that includes the particular installation tool.
The set up tool is non-negotiable. It's a plastic or metal outter that ensures the particular seal stays rectangular as it will go onto the crankshaft. Without it, you're almost guaranteed in order to flip the inner lip of the seal, and if that occurs, you'll be achieving this whole job again next weekend. Many guys prefer the "dry" seal technologies used in modern Cummins kits. These seals actually rely upon being installed completely dry—no oil, no grease—so they could "transfer" a layer associated with Teflon towards the crank surface for a long-term seal.
Getting It Down
The first few hours are just about making space. Get the truck up on durable jack stands when you aren't making use of a lift. You'll need to pull the driveshafts, disconnect the shift addition, and unplug the particular wiring harnesses through the transmission.
When the transmitting is out associated with the way, you'll observe the flywheel or flexplate. You'll need a great impact wrench to obtain those bolts away. Once that plate is off, you're finally staring with the rear of the crankshaft plus that pesky old seal. It's generally tucked into the housing, and it's likely caked within many years of road grime and leaked oil. Have a second to breathe—the hard component of the teardown is done.
Removing the Old Seal
This part is a bit nerve-wracking. You need to get the old seal out without scratch the crankshaft. In case you nick or gouge that steel surface in which the seal sits, you've developed a permanent outflow path that the new seal won't be able to fix.
The "screw method" is a classic for any cause. Carefully drill the couple of small pilot holes in to the metal encounter of the old seal (be super careful not to hit the crank or maybe the housing). After that, thread in a few small sheet metallic screws. Utilize a set of pliers or perhaps a small pry club against the anchoring screws to pop the seal out. This typically takes a little bit of wiggling, yet it'll eventually give way. Once it's out, you'll see the particular bare end of the crank.
Cleaning Is Every thing
I can't stress this good enough: your 5. 9 cummins rear main seal install will fail if things aren't clinical-level clean. Grab some brake cleaner along with a lint-free rag. You need to scrub the crankshaft surface area until you can eat off it. If there's a groove worn into the crank from the old seal, a person might need a repair sleeve (often called a "speedy sleeve"), but ideally, it's just dirty.
Examine the housing as well. Any leftover bits of rubber or old sealant need in order to go. If you use a Scotch-Brite pad, be really gentle. You're looking for a clean, shiny surface. As soon as it's clean, don't touch it along with your oily fingertips.
The Main Event: The Install
Now it's time for the real 5. 9 cummins rear main seal install . If you're using the standard Cummins-style Teflon seal, remember the "dry" rule. Do not really put oil upon the seal lip or the turn. It feels wrong to an old-school auto mechanic, but that's how these are designed to work.
- Slide the preliminary tool onto the crank. This provides an easy ramp for the particular seal to glide over.
- Position the brand-new seal. Place it on the tool and start pushing it toward the engine.
- Use the particular driver. Most kits arrive with a plastic puck or a metal driver. You'll use the flywheel bolts to slowly and evenly attract the seal directly into the housing.
- Proceed slow. Tighten the bolts in a crisscross pattern, maybe a half-turn at the time. This guarantees the seal goes in perfectly straight. If it cocks to one side, you're within trouble.
- Bottom it away. The tool is designed to cease once the seal is at the particular correct depth. Don't try to "guess" the depth; let the tool do the job.
Once the seal is sitting, pull the drivers as well as the pilot tool off. Take a flashlight and look in the lip of the seal all the particular way around. This should look standard and snug contrary to the crank.
Putting It All Back Together
Disassemble is actually the reverse from the teardown, but with more rpm specs to consider. When you put the particular flexplate or flywheel back upon, make sure you use the bit of glowing blue Loctite on the particular bolts. These engines vibrate a lot—that's just the nature associated with a straight-six diesel—and the last point you want is a flywheel bolt backing away within your bellhousing.
Torque them down to the stock spec (usually around 101 ft-lbs, yet check your specific year's manual). Then comes the weighty lifting: getting the particular transmission back in to place. Using a transmission jack causes this the lot safer and easier. Line upward the splines, bolt it down, plus reconnect your driveshafts and electronics.
Final Checks and Begin
Prior to you fire it up, double-check your own oil level. You most likely lost a small bit during the process, or maybe you drained it earlier. Once you start the pickup truck, let it idle for a while. Don't move out and do a boosted launch immediately. You want that will seal to "mate" with the crankshaft.
Crawl back under there along with a flashlight while it's running. It might be smoking cigarettes a little bit as the particular brake cleaner plus old oil burn off the exhaust system, but you shouldn't see any clean drips coming through the bottom from the bellhousing. If it's dry, you've successfully completed your five. 9 cummins rear main seal install.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
If you're carrying out this for the first time, maintain an eye away for these issues: * Forgetting the dirt seal: Some kits have a separate dust seal. Make sure a person know which order they go in. * Using a hammer: Never try to "tap" the particular seal in with a hammer and a punch. You'll distort the metallic casing of the seal and it'll leak within the week. * Ignoring the particular crank condition: If there's a deep groove in the crank, a standard seal won't work. You'll need the kit that includes the put on sleeve. * Rushing the cleaning: Most leaks after a replacement take place because a little bit associated with grit was still left on the crank.
Taking your time is the key here. It's an exhausting job because of the particular heavy parts, but the actual seal installation only requires about fifteen moments of that complete time. Focus on the details during those fifteen a few minutes, and your Cummins will stay leak-free regarding another couple hundred thousand miles. It's a great feeling to look from the ground right after your truck has been parked overnight and find out nothing but dry pavement.