Pilot bearing installation and rear main seal?

[Dreaminvader]

Installing a pilot bearing on a car that was formerly an automatic (so it didn't have a pilot bearing previously), any idea how deep to install the new bearing? Is it flush with the crank or recessed a ways?? Also, replaced rear main seal while leaving the seal retainer in place per FSM and applied grease to the new rear main seal- I was able to push the new rear main seal in by hand without the use of a hammer or tapping it in. I'm worried that the oil pressure could back the new seal out. Is it normal for it to go in so easily? Should I have installed it dry?? Thanks for any advice

[MrWrench]

Whenever I install rear main seals. They always sit flush with the aluminum housing.
As for the pilot bearing, I usually install them a hair below flush. Never had any issues. You could check in the free FSM download for any depth specs, if there is any.

[xirdneh]

I drive pilot as far as it will go. Every crankshaft I have messed with is that way

[Petros]

Welcome to the forum.

That rear seal should not slide in so easy. Usually they are installed dry, but I add sealant to help glue them into place. on older engines with some blow by in the crank case, it could build up more pressure than normal and push the seal out. I always install gasket sealer with all the seals to help "glue" them into place, I am paranoid they can blow out. It happened to me once.

I bought a Corolla All-trac with a bad rear oil seal, it had 360,000 miles on it, but ran okay. it used over quart in about 45 mile drive home. when I got the trans out, the seal was fine but pushed out, and leaking like crazy. I cleaned it off and put some Form-a-gasket sealer on it to "glue" it into place. shortly there after the cam seal in the front did the same thing. the crank case pressure was too high causing the seals to get pushed out. so I eventually dropped the pan, removed the head and replaced the rings (that car with the transverse engine you can drop the pan without pulling the engine). That finally reduced the oil consumption and the blow by, lowering the pressure in the crank case. And the seals stayed in place, drove it for a year, my wife also drove it for a while, but did not care for it (she likes the larger mini vans to drive), and I decided I liked my Tercel4wd better, so I sold it. but the new owner never complained about any more seal failures (I would occasionally see him in the small community where we live).