Rear main seal lesson

Well ****. Looks like I'm about to pull all my oil pan bolts and have a look-see. I never knew this, and I've been trying to hunt down an oil leak.

You only really need to check the 2 bolts that go into the rear seal retaining bulkhead. Pull them and use a small wire to check and compare the depth of the holes vs the length of the bolts.

Also, we both started using oil pan rail reinforcing plates as part of an effort to avoid distorting the pan rail. I sourced mine from Hughes Engines, while my buddy made his. It virtually eliminated the dimpling that pan bolts can cause in the pan rail, especially when using 2 gaskets and a windage tray.

Hughes Engines