Stimpy

So i'm going to replace my rear main seal. I hope to be able to do a DIY write-up at the same time if it goes over well. I'm asking for help from my friends here to get this done right so others can benefit from our collective help.

does anybody have suggestions, best way to prep, things to watch out for, etc? i've already got the seal btw.

fsttyms1 i know you said you'd help me out if i ran into trouble.....i'm hoping to avoid it altogether since this is my only vehicle and i really only have this weekend to get it done before school starts -- can't afford to say "i'll sleep on ____ problem and fix it the next day".

thanks to everybody in advance.

01tl4tl

RENT a real transmission jack from real tool rental store- trans weighs 450 pounds!!!
It will crush normal human!!!
Get straps and whatever they have to hold the trans to the jack too-

Drain the trans as able 3 qts- so when you move it around and change the seal its not full and trying to spill everywhere
Disconnect NEG battery cable for safety- make sure you know the radio and nav codes
Remove the trans to engine bolts- use the across from each other method like a tire- loosen gently a bit at a time-- like anything that is torque pressure sensative load distribution
Check the torque before you remove the bolt- so you know how tight to make it
check for cables wires hoses- disconnect as needed, mark them for correct assembly
TAKE PICS before you remove a part!! and after
remove trans assembly--probably requires an axle removal- I dont know on the TL
remove flexplate- same thing with the bolt torque and pattern
there is the seal!!!!!
use a seal removal tool to avoid scrathces to the sealing edge surface from a screwdriver
Install seal with a proper installer like a big socket or the real tool
install flex plate trans lines hoses bolts refill fluid start- test drive check fluid level congrats
have refreshing beverage of choice
post pics to azine

TLer trash

I'd remove the convertor to flex plate bolts first for two reasons. One, you can use the starter to crank them into position. Two, they're a pain to do when you forget and have the trans half way out.:tomato I always mark the flex plate to the convertor on the last bolt as most only go on one way.[not sure on our cars] Grease the seal lip if it isn't already greased.

Stimpy

so i need a little help....i've removed all connections that i could find connected to the trans. i've removed the 8 flex plate bolts. got all the fluid out that i could.

i'm ready to start the drop, but i know i need to remove the axles. never done that before. any suggestions? i did some research on it but i got confused.

spiro

Try this : https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/junk-yard-jewels-161475/
You will need steps 1-10.
Add :Take a large screwdriver slide yourself under the car and pry the axle out from the trans end.

6MTUA5

iTrader: (2)

Some pics from my swap

Stimpy

thanks for the suggestions and pics.


got the whole trans lifted up and out of the way. replaced the rear main seal. it's all back together now. buuuuuuttttttt -- the car wont start!

i have triple-checked all my wiring connections, made sure i didnt foul anything up too badly or pull anything more than i needed to to make room for the trans. i ended up having to take out the intake manifold and the whole coolant/EGR manifold as well, plus move all the hoses to them and the main engine wiring harness. then i had to shimmy the trans up out and away 90 degrees and about a foot so i could get to the seal.

my brother-in-law was there to help for some of it, and suggested last night that since i had my battery on the cement floor for an extended time that i needed to charge it up - so i did. all night on a battery charger.

i can hear the starter click but the engine wont turn over. the instrument panel will light up and fans for A/C blow when the key is turned.

Thoughts??

Stimpy

i think it may have to be something with the shift linkage. i forgot to take that out when i started lifting and i remembered about the linkage before i got too far. apparently i still didnt save it though because there's a bunch of play that i dont remember having before.

i know the car wont crank over if it's not in park, and although i have the shifter in the right spot it's not in the trans. the only two points i can think of where i could readjust are at the trans and at the shiftgate. i've already taken the whole front console out and have the shift assy out and i'm trying to figure out where i can adjust it w/o destroying it.

and when i turn the key the d4 lights up on the dash. i think it's trying to tell me that it's reading that the car is in gear, therefore it wont let her start?

Stimpy

i thought it might be the starter.....turns out it was bad but still not the fix....fortunately that starter was waranteed but it took me 3 trips to 3 different autozone stores to finally get the right one!

edit:
i think i might have the shift linkage corrected but not sure.

01tl4tl

charge the battery some more- a night on concete can empty it
Make sure its off the ground and on a thick -like 4 inch- wood block when charging

01tl4tl

a bad starter can also drain the battery,, so its not going to hurt to put the charger on- if the battery is as full as the charger will get- it turns off
Note: the charger does not `fill` the battery complete with juice
About 30-45 minutes freeway cruise- rpm above 2000- will generate enough to run the car and top off the battery
No headlight or radio useage during weak battery recharge time or you defeat whats going on

totaledTL

I've heard this before- would like to know how sitting on concrete can have any effect-

Stimpy

well i gave it my best shot....still not exactly starting up. i'm going to have it towed into the honda/acura specialist near me first thing in the morning -- hopefully they can tell me what's up. i swear if it's something basic i'll go take a bath with my battery.

fsttyms1

Does it crank, just wont start, or it wont crank at all?

01tl4tl

sitting a battery on concrete or bare earth or any thin material between the battery and the actual GROUND=Earth is bad news.
Even mounted in the car -on its metal shelf- gets less charged than if removed and done correctly

Think of lightening- a giant electrical charge- like a battery
When loose in the sky it looks for the path of least resistance- often a human standing on a golf course works well!--electricity SEEKS Ground
One of the scientist in the group can explain in detail- thats as best as I can offer.
Was taught very young to never leave the car battery on the metal workbench or let it sit on the ground- and always put a wooden Block barrier between the floor/workbench and the batt when on the charger
I have tested it and its true- a fresh battery stands no chance against the Earth, let alone one that has been weakened by a faulty starter

totaledTL

I beleive this is now a myth because of more modern materials used to make battery cases:

http://www.batteries-faq.com/activek...p?questionid=3

http://www.optimabatteries.com/disco...y_care_q04.php

TLer trash

I agree. Even though my grandfather always did it, I was taught differently in basic auto electricity back in the early 70's. I personally think the myth may have started because of what battery acid does to concrete. A concrete floor is usually cooler than ambient air temperature, and will lower a battery's output very slightly. If the battery is allowed to warm up to room temp, output comes right back. A battery's self discharge rate is slowed by cooling the battery, so it's actually better to keep them cool for long term storage. [above freezing]

TLer trash

Sounds like you might have put some strain on the shift cable. Hopefully just an adjustment. Even if you have to pay to get this figured out, you saved a bunch by doing the seal yourself. Congratulations, and good luck.

Stimpy

thanks for the congrats. i know that i've got a headache on my hands, but not nearly as bad as it couldve been when i got the card statement for the $700 repair that i knew i was mostly capable of doing.

i had it in the specialist today, they were scratching their heads. they were able to do a manual start on the starter, cranking the engine over. no spark from the plugs though was a good indicator to both of us that the problem is probably electrical. i think i might have either mangled one of my connectors in the process, or missed something in reassembly. in any case, they said they couldnt handle it and now its at an auto eletcrical specialist.

they still werent able to definitively assess my shift linkage to determine if that is a contributing factor to the non-firing engine. they did notice a crucial detail i missed: when shifting in and out of gear, the PRNDL cluster wouldnt light up to indicate the gear it was in. so i think the car not thinking that its in proper gear isnt allowing it to fire up, even in park or neutral. they even tried the neutral safety switch with no positive results.

01tl4tl

I left a decently charged diehard sitting outside on the bare ground recently
When I went to use it- it had died hard!!

Maybe good batteries are different, like optima with its `rolled cells` instead of plates
But the basic battery found in the TL or a basic replacement in same,
those are what I know about, and are what I am saying is better to do on top of block of wood--- be it storing the car for a few months, or charging a dead battery.
Thats my old school extra cautious way and it wont hurt to do it that way for sure

returning now to the OP- when you figure out what went wrong- post it in your DIY for seal replacement so the next brave ziners have an easier go of it

Stimpy

well --

the car is running. the culprit? 01tl4tl....you guessed it: grounding wire. somehow, somewhere, i forgot to attach one of grounding cables. it took me all day yesterday and half the day today to have it diagnosed just to figure out that i forgot to reconnect one lousy cable. oh well, at least it works.

i do have a CEL on my dash, but i think i know why: when i was reconnecting stuff i noticed that i forgot to undo a plug before i started moving the trans. I ended up actually pulling the wires from the plug. i traced it down and found it to be my o2 sensor. there are 4 wires to it: white, green, and 2 blacks, and both blacks were unmarked in any way. i had a 50/50 chance of getting it right, so i guess i got it wrong. that means i gotta go it and re-orient the wires -- no biggie.

i think i also realized why my engine fan would run for 10-15 mins after killing the engine -- low coolant! the reservoir was bone dry!!! gotta get that taken care of.

now i'm gonna try and decide if i wanna write a DIY on this...i understand now why fsttyms1 said there wasnt a DIY for it: that would be as arduous a task as the actual repair to be performed.

let it be known, though: i'll help the next one that comes along if you need it.

01tl4tl

find out WHY and where the coolant is leaking from and fix that ASAP
pressure test the radiator and its cap- look at the engine oil dipstick for overfull or brown and foamy~

I had the ol "ground wire not connected" happen on a few cars over the years-
~once~ to myself-
then to the techs that were not paying attention when they took the same type of car apart for a clutch job...was it wrong for me to stand there and laugh
or was charging them 20 to 50 bucks to solve the problem worse
lol

A buddy locally was going nuts figuring out what the shop had done wrong on a 4 month overhaul on his jeep and it wont keep running ore than a few blocks
I immediatly thought fuel pump- fuel pump pressure

Nonsense he says- new electric fuel pump- new pressure regultor, new carb- it couldnt be any of the brand new parts!!!! they are all brand new,, and custom installed~

A week in the shop later and they find a bad ground connection ...to the new electric fuel pump!!
dededeeeeee

01tl4tl

to reset the ECU - open the passenger door and remove fuse panel cover- look for fues spot number its 12 or 13, its marked CLOCK, and is really the secret backup power to the ECU!

remove the fuse for a minute then reinsert- the ecu is now ready to relearn your driving and how the car is running based on the sensors

this saves you removing the battery Neg cable to force a reset - and then reenter the radio security codes because you unplugged the battery and the radio goes into anti theft mode!!

Stimpy

ya i knew about the ECU reset....still gotta figure out my coolant. i posted in the other active thread here.

totaledTL

I don't see where that was suggested-

Stimpy

he pm'd me about it

Stimpy

so i guess the code i threw wasnt anything to do with my O2 sensor..... the code i got was:

P0325 Knock Sensor 1 Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 or Single Sensor)


anybody know how to remedy this?

Stimpy

nm i got it handled

01tl4tl

what was it- you cant take us on this journey, then jump off the bus at the punch line!

Stimpy

oh alright.....i knocked my knock sensor....haha pun intended.

need to get a new sensor. had to buy a code reader to figure that out since the only shop i could think of around me that had a code reader was already closed. oh well, now i dont need to go anywhere to read my codes anymore(hopefully i'll never have to use this thing again!) problem is that the nearest store to me cant get one till tomorrow and i have to go to the the store today to pay for it before they'll order it. but i wont be able to get it installed till tomorrow night, and i have a bunch of driving to do before then and i dont wanna do it because this missing sensor is killing my MPG and i know it can cause problems down the road if not handled soon...