help w rear main seal

[Jay Whitely]

> So far, I haven't been able to crack the retainer
> plate loose, without
> concern of damage.  I pulled all four bolts and the
> two lower nuts, but
> it's still silio-gooped on tight.  Is there some
> place I can pry on it
> without marring up the surfaces?

***I thought the same thing when I did my first
in-the-car clutch job as well.  I wondered hoe I was
supposed to remove that plate without removing the oil
pan first.  The problem is that if you keep the oil
pan intact, you would need to slide this plate up and
away at the same time, which has proven to be
impossible (for me).

Whenever I replace the rear main seal on a Nissan, I
simply tap a very small screwdriver between the outer
edge of the seal and the plate. Then, pry the seal out
gently, trying not to mar the plate too much.

This works for me everytime and I have never had a
leaky seal.

This seems to be the only way to replace the seal with
removing the oil pan first.

Make sure that when you tap the new seal in, lube it
on the outer edge and inner edge with motor oil. Make
sure the seal sits flush with the plate. Do not make
the mistake of tapping it too far and letting the seal
sit below the level of the plate.

Good luck,

=====
Jay Whitely
Tampa, FL
1996 200SX SE-R
GTi-R powered, F-MAX Stage 2