Review on Fel Pro 30136 Rear Engine Main by Mike Hicks

Good strong gasket, fairly hard core. Much easier to install than the old rope seal. The two-piece gasket can be installed without removing the engine, and in some cases without removing the oil pan entirely - you may be able to unbolt the oil pan and slide it forward far enough to do the job. I decided to loosen the tie rod and remove the subframe connector to get the pan out completely. Don't drop the rear main bearing cap - it's cast iron and doesn't bounce well on concrete. compaction in the form of a rope was difficult; I drove in a rough drywall screw, waving it away from the crankshaft being careful not to go so deep as to damage the seal channel in the block, and tightened the screw with a vise and shut down the engine. I had to repeat this a second time before I pulled out enough of the gasket to get it in the vise and then it came out smooth again, again on shutting off the engine. This part would be easier to rotate with the help of an assistant, but it can be done on your own. For the short extension arm, you'll need a large 1/2" ratchet; use a ratchet instead of a broken rod so you don't have to constantly move it. When replacing the cable grommet, be sure to use the small "nail" in the To knock out the bearing cap. I poured some sealant into this hole but it's not technically necessary. Thoroughly lubricate the new oil seal before installing it and make sure the lip is on the engine side. Mine started fine and shifted the engine off, but had to press down on the end with a flathead screwdriver to get it done. Again, it's easier with a wizard, but you can do it yourself. Move the top half about 3/8" and the bottom 3/ 8" in the other direction so that the ends of the seal halves are not exactly at the junction of the block and main bearing cap. Again, make sure the lip the bottom half of the gasket is on the engine side. Clean the contact surfaces between the block and the bearing cap and apply a thin layer of sealant. Reinstall the cover, lubricate the bolts with assembly grease or motor oil before installation. My procedure was to tighten the cap bolts to 10 lbs, then hit the crankshaft back and forth with a hammer, then tighten to 60-70 lbs. Seems to be working fine. The cost of installing one infill was about 22 times the cost of installing one, and I did the whole job in half a day.