Rear main seal leaking?

Tiny
RAGINGSOUL
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE
  • 5.3L
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 220,156 MILES
I have a leaking rear main seal which I thought it might be, so I went to Take5 oil and they confirmed. It' not a bad leak at this point so my question is there a Stop Leak oil that you would recommend for me until I can get it fixed?
Saturday, October 21st, 2023 AT 1:04 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,689 POSTS
Hi,

Under normal circumstances, I don't like using additives because they could cause other problems. However, if this is a temporary fix, you may want to consider Bar's Leak rear main sealer. It is specifically designed for rear main seal leaks.

When you change the oil, the product is used in place of a quart of oil. If you want to add it before an oil change, drain a quart of oil out first. You don't want the system overfilled.

I attached a pic below of the product I'm referring to. It may take a couple of days for it to seal, but I've been told it works great.

Let me know if this helps.

Take care,

joe

See pic below.
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Saturday, October 21st, 2023 AT 9:46 PM
Tiny
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Thank you, Joe, I appreciate your response. I don't have the funds to have it fixed through a mechanic nor do I have the tools or physical ability to replace a rear main seal myself. I should have put this info in my question as well. Does this change your response?
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Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 AT 6:59 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,689 POSTS
Hi,

No, that doesn't change my response, and I completely understand. It's hard to afford anything anymore. Give it a try. I suspect you could get it for under 10.00 dollars. It should help.

I do have a question. How bad is the leak? If it is slight, you may want to consider leaving it the way it is. If it is substantial, then the product should help.

Let me know if you have questions or if I can help in any way.

Take care of yourself,

Joe
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Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 AT 8:20 PM
Tiny
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  • 49 POSTS
It's not super bad I lost a quart of oil probably about a week and a half maybe a little bit longer. I haven't been able to buy any yet, so I don't know maybe this changes something. And again, I really do appreciate your help Joe so much. I am extremely happy with 2CarPros. All of the advice that the mechanics have given me and friends of mine has been awesome.
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Thursday, October 26th, 2023 AT 9:09 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,689 POSTS
Hi,

First, you are very welcome, and thank you. As far as the oil leak is concerned, it doesn't sound like that big of a leak, but it is big enough to be recognized and taken care of. Were you able to find the product I mentioned?

Let me know.

Joe
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Thursday, October 26th, 2023 AT 7:21 PM
Tiny
RAGINGSOUL
  • MEMBER
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No Joe, you're correct it's not a big leak and yes, I did find places that sell it I just haven't bought it yet. I'm hoping that by putting that in there it will give me a few months or so to be able to come up with the front and have it actually changed out by mechanic.
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Friday, October 27th, 2023 AT 8:56 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,689 POSTS
Okay, I was wondering if you were able to find it. And yes, it should last a lot longer than a few months. It actually swells the seal and stops the leak.

As far as replacement, keep in mind it isn't uncommon for a rear main seal to leak a bit with this many miles. If it is minimal, you may want to see how long the additive lasts before replacing it. With this many miles, anything can happen. I wouldn't want to see you put a lot of money into the seal only to have something different and more expensive fail.

Also, if you want to do it yourself, let me know and I'll get you the directions and help you through it.

Take care and if you can, let me know if it helps.

Joe
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Friday, October 27th, 2023 AT 8:36 PM
Tiny
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Thank you very much Joe you're awesome. I'll let you know if I need help in changing the rear main seal.
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Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 AT 11:11 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,689 POSTS
Hi,

You are very welcome. When you decide, let me know what I can do to help.

Take care and feel free to come back anytime in the future.

Joe
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Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 AT 6:52 PM

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