Over the last five weeks or so my falcon has been in bits. I fried it one evening heading to work, so towed it home that night. When cranking you could see bubbles coming out of the header tank.....

So off came the head, took that down to get machined, had them machine the inlet side for the thermostat housing. I then cleaned up all surfaces and cleaned the carbon buildup off the pistons. Head went back on, follower by rocker gear. Was halfway back together, with exhaust mani and inlet mani back on, when i noticed the heater hose going to the thermostat was almost coroded through.

So off came the exhaust manifold, and inlet manifold. I removed all the rubber hoses, and the main steel pipe that goes under the exhaust manifold and back around to the heater. While i was there i also replaced all seven welsch plugs on inlet and exhaust sides of the block. New water pump, thermostat, 3 core radiator, and heater tap completes the picture. So tonight, as i was dropping the inlet manifold back in for what i hoped was the last time, i dropped a clip off of the coil plug. I ducked under the car to find a great big pool of oil....

While everything was off the motor, i plugged all holes and degreased it till nothing remained, and nothing was on the concrete when i pushed the car back in the shed, so its developed overnight. Its definately not coming from the front of the motor, nor from the rocker cover. I also had the oil sender and distributor out, and there was no(very little, nothing ran out) oil left in the galleries. So its either my rear main, or just excess oil from a previous leak that has decided to run out of every other place i didnt get to while degreasing....

So, my question is this, if i chose to replace the rear main seal, whats the easiest way of going about it? Keeping in mind that all manifolds are off, as are the radiator, fan, shroud, power steering pump, and dipstick?

You gotta drop the gearbox, no other way around it, what you have off, wont really help in your rear main prob, or make it easier.

But will it be easier to remove box and motor in one piece, then split them outside the car rather than try and get at the bell housing bolts?

this is a hard one .by membery the rear oil seal will leak if motor has been running for a while when it has oil presser and will leak a bit after you turn it off it shouldnt leek if sitting for awale with out motor running . it might just be old oil around the motor .

what wouldnt be worth pulling the whole motor out to do a rear main, you will have to drop the gearbox, prob 2-3 hours work, id get someone to help you do it though

undo gearbox but leave bellhousing on and pull it that way

Andrew J, please check your sump for leakage too mate. just a thought i have had a sump leaking on my ea thought it was the rear main after i got it rebuilt. tightened the bolts and it stopped leaking.

PS did you do the back welsch plug behind the engine?

you can't do the rear main without removeing the fly wheel or the drive plate,,stick it in the air remove which ever box you got remove it's attaching piece from the engine,,renew seal then reverse..only way it can be done,,or just replace whole motor,,fixed

bellhouseing has to come off. cause u gotta get the flywheel off

Yes you are all right however as i was reading thru i thought by the above comment this guy was going to pull the motor

if he isnt going to well yes, pull bellhousing and all associated s**t out but with the amount of stuff unbolted from his motor i'd be undoing the mounts and pulling the motor. I'd also then be doing sump gaskets and ACL rebuild kit as well lol

I have just rebuilt the motor in my cooks eb (I am an engine reconditioner by trade). If I had to do it again I would pull the gearbox with the motor as some of the 6 bellhousing bolts are interesting to get to otherwise. If you have to go the far might as well sling a new set of rings and bearings in it as well as afull gasket set. Being a ford it'll go forever then!!

I have put an ea engine in xhute0 and ill agree with ya there, pain in the a*** with regard to the top two muhfugggin bolts you need nine elbows and six more joints in your fingers. much better pulling the whole sizzle out.

What brand GASKET's do you recommend? I need to do my sump gasket!

ope, you just need a 2foot long extension and a wobble joint, they are hard to get at but if you have 2 people (one to get under the car and one to guide the socket from above, youll be right

i used the old mans tiny socket, its about the size of just the end of the ratchet but has no handle. he says try this. got it in.

GASKETS?

ACL gaskets are fine unless you start running seriously high compression, which, in the long run doesn't achieve a great deal except premature wear on conrod bearings and detonation!