Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Rear main seal leak???

[98ramtough]

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My new to me 98 12 valve 4x4 5 speed leaks a little oil. Not a HUGE leak, but enough that I would like to start getting it fixed.



It looks like its the rear main seal. The oil pan doesn't seem to have a bunch of crap around it, but the front of the bellhousing area has a lot of oil. I would guess it leaks probably a golfball to baseball size puddle every day.



I would think you have to pull the transmission to replace the rear main?



How expensive is this to have a shop do this?



Truck has 191k miles on it. No slippage in the clutch, everything in the transmission feels great.



Would I be dumb to have them just do the rear main seal and not do a new clutch etc?

 

[Skydiver]

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Would I be dumb to have them just do the rear main seal and not do a new clutch etc?

If you know absolutly how the old clutch has been treated and it is almost new, then keep on using it. How do you know that it was not smoked? At least with a clutch it can be measured. Look for any blue streaks on the flywheel. Blue streaks come from heat (abuse). Make sure you refinish your flywheel if you change out the clutch.
Don't forget to replace the pilot bearing also.

Now you are going to get 17 suggestions of which clutch to buy.

 

[98ramtough]

Suggestions on new clutches are welcome.



The clutch is original, 191k miles on it. So it seems like a no brainer to replace the clutch while they are in there. I will not be doing this myself. I will take it somewhere and have it done. Besides, I will need a new clutch if I want to add a little extra power anyway right? Clutch and gauges were on my list before adding fuel...



I called a place locally here and asked them, they said they would recommend a south bend single disk and could do the rear main at the same time. Price was around $1100-1200. Looks like that clutch is about $450. Seem about right?



Am I dumb to not put a double disk clutch in? I don't plan on going crazy on power, would like to make the power similar to my newer dodges I had. 350hp etc... .



This will be a somewhat daily driver, I want it to be reliable as can be and want to rack up as many miles as I can on it. I will never burn tires, never race it etc. I just want a reliable truck that can tow a 8k lb trailer up a hill at the speed limit. The truck seems fine on power now, but I will want to add a little more after having a 2007 and of course my wife's truck (2010) needs to not have that much more power than mine. It just doesn't seem right.....



Decisions decisions... Do I do that first, or let the little oil keep leaking since the clutch isn't slipping and do the gauges first????



I have only had the truck a week and a new turbo has went on, new shocks, windows tinted..... It's good to be back in the 2nd Gen game. Oh how I have missed it!

 

[SRath]

My dodge keeps its own underbelly rustproofed by recycling its oil all over itself. You will run out of fingers and toes trying to plug every leak on these trucks.

 

[Lurch]

One for the Keep it simple file. Did you check to make sure it isn't a valve cover leak running down the back of the block and not actually the main?

Just a thought.