2.7T (BEL) engine rear main seal question

[urq]

There's no question about it, the reason the factory supplies the RMS
pre-mounted in the plate is to avoid the likelihood that someone would
accidentally push the replacement seal through the plate and then reuse it,
causing the likelihood of another RMS leak in the near future.  Too bad they
didn't build the plate with a lip that would prevent the seal from pushing
all the way through ... go figure.  If you are going to DIY the seal without
the replacement plate I'd recommend removing the plate from the block and
replacing the seal on the bench.  Yes, you will need to replace the gasket
between the plate and the block this way, but it is way too easy to
accidentally push the seal through the hole if you try to do it in situ.  

At one point we started a floating plate program for the MC engines ... when
someone needed to do an RMS they could get a floating plate, which they
could prepare beforehand so you wouldn't get yourself into a situation where
you have a damaged seal and an opened up engine waiting for a replacement
seal.  Once the job was done the plate removed from the car became the
floater for the next person.  I don't think that went more than one or two
people before it faded away.

Steve

-----Original Message-----

I've been replacing seals the "old fashioned way" for 20 years. In all that
time (and hundreds of seals), I've only had a few leak, and none recently. I
agree that quality is important, and having the right part is important, but
$120 for a seal is crazy. My guess is that the exact same seal is available
separately, but for some other application.


On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 2:46 PM, Steve Mills <s.b.mills at gmail.com> wrote:

> Not to add any additional rain to what appears to be an already damp
> parade, but what will it cost you if a make-do seal fails after the car is
> all the way back together? I'm guessing it will be substantially more that
> the ~$100 you might save by sourcing just a seal that may or may not fit
> 100%.
>
> FWIW, I 'saved' $40 on a non-OE blower motor for my S6 Avant. It's been in
> less than 6 months, and already squeaks worse than the ~12 yr old original
> blower it replaced. Arghhhhhh.
>
> Steve
>
> On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 1:49 PM, Joshua Van Tol <josh at spiny.com> wrote:
>
>> It looks like the rear main seal for my 2003 Allroad is only available
>> with
>> the flange, for $120. Anyone know what size that seal is? Got one sitting
>> out that you could measure? 105x85x12mm is the size of the seal on the
>> I-5,
>> is it perhaps the same size? After all the other costs of a torque
>> converter
>> replacement I'm loathe to spend another $120 for a stinking seal.
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>
>
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