Engine is a late 70's, so I'm pretty sure it's got the 2-piece rear main seal... All my research sez that by dropping the pan and pulling the rear bearing cap, I can change the seal with the tranny still on... How would the old seal come out/new one go in... easy, some pushing, gonna be a mofo?

I can envision why it would work, but I would see the crank being too tight to let it slide out, and especially the new one slide in, without loosening more of the bearing caps...

Let's see.. for a parts list, I'm up to:
oil
pan gasket (mine's leaking anyway)
rear main seal
anything else?

Special tools I'll need? What to torque the bearing cap bolts to? I can't remember...

Any gotchas, BTDT stories, things to watch out for?

And yeah, i searched.. :flipoff2:

drop the pan. remove the bearing cap. if a rope seal, use a wood screw to remove the seal. screw into the seal and pull it out. you'll likely replace it with a two piece unit. be gentle and careful.

Once you take the bearing cap off, one half the seal will be in the cap and the other half is in the block, just push on one side off the seal with a small wooden dowel and it should slide out, then oil up the new one and gently slide it in, before you put the main cap back on, silicone the areas on both sides where the two seal halves meet, then put the cap back on, I think it's 65-70# torque.

Be very careful pushing the seal back into position. The area where the seal slides into has sharp edges, and if your not careful you will cut the seal, therefore your leaking again.
Normally the seals come with a small plastic tool to help to keep the seal from getting cut. I would also recommend lubricating the lip of the seal, so when you do start up the engine, the lip doesn't disenegrate.:skull:

There is a tool called a Sneaky Pete for doing this. The one I have looks like a short piece of cable with a loop on the end. You use it to fish the seal through. Lisle makes them, got mine from the auto parts store for like $9.99 and I keep it and a seal in the tool box...

-Stumbaugh

Thanks all, I feel much better about my chances of a successful replacement...

I went to their site (www.lislecorp.com), and saw what you're talking about..thanks!