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1995 5.9 rear main

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  • 1995 5.9 rear main

    Hey yall I recently traded a $700 91 cherokee for a 95 3/4 ton 5.9 5 speed regular cab long bed. I love the truck, but immediately the brakes went completely out. so now after that i have about a $1650 investment in this truck, including licencing and all. well i knew when i bought it that the clutch was worn, it jumps unless you work it just right. it leaked no oil at all, but yesterday when i parked it, it was dumping motor oil out the bellhousing. So now it needs a rear main. good time to do the clutch as well.

    What i want to know is if there would be any reason that the seal wouldve blown other then age. I unfortunately do not know how many miles are on the Ram, as the original gauge cluster has been replaced. if this is the original however, it sure runs good and the chassis feels tight for the 360000 miles the odometer shows. the Motor is strong, makes no noises that it shouldnt, and the front end feels like bushings are in good shape, and ball joints are still decent.

    Is there some reason that there may have been abnormal pressure that caused this to happen? also the truck hadnt been licenced since 08 when i bought it, so not being driven enough may have caused it to dry out. i just dont want to do this job twice. Whatdya think?

  • #2
    Originally posted by 2x1972 View Post
    What i want to know is if there would be any reason that the seal wouldve blown other then age. I unfortunately do not know how many miles are on the Ram, as the original gauge cluster has been replaced. if this is the original however, it sure runs good and the chassis feels tight for the 360000 miles the odometer shows. the Motor is strong, makes no noises that it shouldnt, and the front end feels like bushings are in good shape, and ball joints are still decent.

    Is there some reason that there may have been abnormal pressure that caused this to happen? also the truck hadn't been licensed since 08 when i bought it, so not being driven enough may have caused it to dry out. i just don't want to do this job twice. Whatdya think?
    If something caused the crankcase to become pressurized then you could force oil past a seal. Even if you don't know how many miles are on the truck, it seems likely the actual miles are high. A seal can fail slowly, or it can fail dramatically. I don't think there is anything for you to be concerned about, other than replacing it.

    If the front end is good, we can be pretty confident it has been repaired in its past.

    As I sit here I am uncertain as to how the crankcase is vented, but that would be the one thing to explore in the interests of being thorough.
    Power Wagon Advertiser monthly magazine, editor & publisher.


    Why is it that the inside of old truck cabs smell so good?

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    • #3
      Well thanks. I replaced it last sunday in the parking lot of my dorm on Barksdale Air force base, and i enjoyed the looks i got as i was covered in oil underneath the truck. Everyone else drives new boring stuff so they just dont understand. and here i think my '95 is new!

      I figure its just that it got old. it has no issues now, and leaks not a spot of oil.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by 2x1972 View Post
        Well thanks. I replaced it last sunday in the parking lot of my dorm on Barksdale Air force base, and i enjoyed the looks i got as i was covered in oil underneath the truck. Everyone else drives new boring stuff so they just dont understand. and here i think my '95 is new!

        I figure its just that it got old. it has no issues now, and leaks not a spot of oil.
        That must have been fun. What did you use for a transmission jack?
        Power Wagon Advertiser monthly magazine, editor & publisher.


        Why is it that the inside of old truck cabs smell so good?

        Comment


        • #5
          It's a two piece seal, making the replacement fairly straightforward, as the tranny didn't need to be pulled (Thankfully).

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          • #6
            Originally posted by 2x1972 View Post
            It's a two piece seal, making the replacement fairly straightforward, as the tranny didn't need to be pulled (Thankfully).
            Wow, that's a happy thing. It is reassuring to me, too, in case I have to do that. I just figured you would have had to remove the transmission.

            Good job!
            Power Wagon Advertiser monthly magazine, editor & publisher.


            Why is it that the inside of old truck cabs smell so good?

            Comment


            • #7
              With the advent of the Magnum series engines (and some later LA engines also employed them) they used the 2 piece seal. Makes servicing much easier, although they last several hundred thousands of miles before they need replacing. The engine I pulled out of my '95 (318) had 238K before it started using oil pretty quickly. A JY motor was swapped in for the sake of not having the rig down. I am going to rebuild that engine and put it in my Wrangler in place of the LA/Magnum conglomeration that is in it right now. Removal of the heads tells me the engine had never been apart. There was a slight ridge (well under .010) but you could still see the crosshatching thoughout most of the cylinder walls. The oil pan had never even been off, which means the rear main had not been replaced and it didnt leak one drop. These engines are built to run hard, all day long, without a care in the world. Simple maintenance like replacing the rear main is what will keep that rig on the road for many years to come.

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