Cost of rear main seal replacement

[2591tdj]

The oil change place told me that my rear main seal is leaking. I recently noticed quite a few new oil stains on my driveway. I used to do all my own maintenance and repairs but no longer have the time, place or equipment to do so any longer and need to take it to a shop.

What should I expect to pay to have the rear main seal replaced? 2005 Tahoe Z71 5.3L 163k miles

 

[MrBalll]

Way more than necessary. If you could ask for a day off you'd be way better off. May take you all day, but it will only cost you some time and about 50 in parts.
It really depends on your area's labor price and where you go. I'd say approximately 3-500. The labor is what will kill you because of how long it can take.

 

[Rocket Man]

Since the trans has to come out and most shops charge about $100 an hour, I’d say more like $600- $800. It’s time consuming and they’re gonna cover their ass. Best thing to do is call around.

 

[Elmo]

The oil change place told me that my rear main seal is leaking. I recently noticed quite a few new oil stains on my driveway. I used to do all my own maintenance and repairs but no longer have the time, place or equipment to do so any longer and need to take it to a shop.

What should I expect to pay to have the rear main seal replaced? 2005 Tahoe Z71 5.3L 163k miles

Almost $1,000 for my 2007 GMC Yukon Denali. I would take it somewhere else first to make sure it is really the rear main seal and not something else like the pan. Also on mine there was a special kit because of a dissimilar metal problem that caused the rear main seals to leak. The standard seal is cheaper but will fail.

 

[swathdiver]

The oil change place told me that my rear main seal is leaking. I recently noticed quite a few new oil stains on my driveway. I used to do all my own maintenance and repairs but no longer have the time, place or equipment to do so any longer and need to take it to a shop.

What should I expect to pay to have the rear main seal replaced? 2005 Tahoe Z71 5.3L 163k miles

Shop time according to the manual is 7.1 hours. The seal and gasket are about $25 each.

 

[hound_dog]

I thought my rear main seal was leaking last year but it turned out to be higher up at the oil pressure sending unit.

 

[jcjc]

Sometimes engine rebuilders and transmission shops give better pricing for this job, they are more experienced and equipped to pull the engine out. Other general repair shops may choose to price themselves out of this, it will take up a repair bay for nearly a full day, creating a backlog of other work.

 

[BADRIDES]

Since the trans has to come out and most shops charge about $100 an hour, I’d say more like $600- $800. It’s time consuming and they’re gonna cover their ass. Best thing to do is call around.

That's about what we charge at the Chevy dealership I work at.

 

[Spoolin]

Give this a try.....

 

[Slurpglass]

Shop time according to the manual is 7.1 hours. The seal and gasket are about $25 each.

Do we have the part numbers for both easily available by chance?

 

[swathdiver]

Do we have the part numbers for both easily available by chance?

I'm coming up with 89060436 for the seal and 12639249 for the gasket. Plug your VIN in here and double check:

https://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/catalog/catalog_search.php

 

[SnowDrifter]

All I would like to add, is if you do take it to a shop, do everything at the same shop. The second you start cross shopping between diagnosis and labor, the finger pointing starts between shops and you're left in the middle with no recourse.

 

[2591tdj]

I talked with one shop while having other work done. These guys specialize in Tahoes. He was in the $800 range and said that they found its easiest to pull the engine because of so little clearance to get to the seal. He’s the second one who said that he would drive it and add oil until it became a problem and had to be replaced.

 

[treehan77]

That’s what I’ve been doing for 2 years. Decent stop leak slows it but it never quite stops. I figure one day the trans will take a dump, and it’ll be fixed then, since it should t be too expensive to repair when it’s getting a new trans

 

[treehan77]

I also switched to high mileage conventional oil. I change it at 50% oil life, then again at 0%. With that and some stop leak, it barely drips. Still annoying and still makes spots in the driveway though

 

[2591tdj]

I always change at 3,000 mi which some may say is too often. Does stop leak really work? Should I try the brand shown in another reply? I’m not familiar with that one but am willing to give it a go. I hope the tranny doesn’t go but given the mileage I wouldn’t be too surprised. What’s a trans replace or overhaul cost and would you consider an overhaul?

 

[2591tdj]

Amazing price differences on Amazon.
Two singles are cheaper than a 2 pack.

 

[treehan77]

If it’s a fairly large main leak, this probably won’t stop it. Ive only been able to slow mine, and it’s not a huge leak to start with.

 

[2591tdj]

I’ll order some and try it. It’s just small drips at this point plus whatever the quick change place spills onto the skid plates that then drips onto my driveway.

 

[SnowDrifter]

I'm of the personal opinion that a worn part should be replaced as to band-aided. It could very well be ignorance on my part, but my concern is what stop leak would do to other intact seals in the engine both with long term use, and what happens if you stop using the product. And $36 buys a lot of top-up oil