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I prefer the Victor Reinz brand crank repair sleeve, and it come with installation tool, saving money for a one-time installation.  Autozone carries those.

Hey Billy,

Do you have wear on the crankshaft where the seal sits or are you doing it for preventive reason's?

Thanks Steve69

Billly!  If the journal surfaces are ok now I think you are wasting time and money.
I highly doubt that your new build seals will wear ridges on to the crank for a long, long time.
JMO.

where can I find a repair sleeve kit that will it my 302....bout ready to give up on it.

Last edited by BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA (9/04/2022 5:21 AM)

I routinely install the sleeves, especially on 351w based engines due to the seals not fitting as tight as I think they need to, and by evidence of weeping on seals even in new cranks. The sleeves expand the seal just s little, making it fit tighter. I have never had one with s sleeve on it leak. Can’t say the same about new rear main seals on cranks that look perfect.

Really necessary?  Maybe not.
Does it help?   Absolutely.

MS wrote:

I routinely install the sleeves, especially on 351w based engines due to the seals not fitting as tight as I think they need to, and by evidence of weeping on seals even in new cranks. The sleeves expand the seal just s little, making it fit tighter. I have never had one with s sleeve on it leak. Can’t say the same about new rear main seals on cranks that look perfect.

Really necessary? Maybe not.
Does it help? Absolutely.

This has me wondering about the seals.  I rebuilt the 10.5" rear in my F250 some months back.  No real issues, except that after maybe 500 miles I was getting a drip from the pinion seal (new yoke and new seal).  I noticed it when I went to change the gear oil after breaking in the R&P.  I was not happy to say the least, but as I ALWAYS use a SOLID pinion spacer it was no big deal to change the seal.  My concern was it leaking again.  Upon pulling the seal I noticed it had "China" stamped into it.  This was a seal that came in the master overhaul kit from Randy's R&P.  The yoke was a new Ford part, so I didn't suspect it was the culprit.  I went to NAPA bought a new SKF seal (German made I believe), put it all back together and no issues in close to 5k miles now.  As this was ongoing I remembered a buddy who lifted his Gladiator and had a real bad pinion seal leak almost immediately (he had the truck regeared for the larger tires).  He thought the shop did something wrong, but I know the guy who owns the shop and he's reputable and they do good work (they fixed it and even cleaned the underside of the truck of gear oil).  The long and short of it is that it seems sadly seals like everything else are no longer what they once were and you need to be real careful which ones you buy.  I can tell you those Randy's seals will go in the garbage on the next rear I do in favor of an SKF. 
 

TKOPerformance wrote:

MS wrote:

I routinely install the sleeves, especially on 351w based engines due to the seals not fitting as tight as I think they need to, and by evidence of weeping on seals even in new cranks. The sleeves expand the seal just s little, making it fit tighter. I have never had one with s sleeve on it leak. Can’t say the same about new rear main seals on cranks that look perfect.

Really necessary? Maybe not.
Does it help? Absolutely.

This has me wondering about the seals.  I rebuilt the 10.5" rear in my F250 some months back.  No real issues, except that after maybe 500 miles I was getting a drip from the pinion seal (new yoke and new seal).  I noticed it when I went to change the gear oil after breaking in the R&P.  I was not happy to say the least, but as I ALWAYS use a SOLID pinion spacer it was no big deal to change the seal.  My concern was it leaking again.  Upon pulling the seal I noticed it had "China" stamped into it.  This was a seal that came in the master overhaul kit from Randy's R&P.  The yoke was a new Ford part, so I didn't suspect it was the culprit.  I went to NAPA bought a new SKF seal (German made I believe), put it all back together and no issues in close to 5k miles now.  As this was ongoing I remembered a buddy who lifted his Gladiator and had a real bad pinion seal leak almost immediately (he had the truck regeared for the larger tires).  He thought the shop did something wrong, but I know the guy who owns the shop and he's reputable and they do good work (they fixed it and even cleaned the underside of the truck of gear oil).  The long and short of it is that it seems sadly seals like everything else are no longer what they once were and you need to be real careful which ones you buy.  I can tell you those Randy's seals will go in the garbage on the next rear I do in favor of an SKF. 
 

Interestingly, I live about a mile from the main Randy's R&P in Everett. I have had Randy's do repairs to a couple of Jeeps differentials and an 8" pumpkin that I had in my 68 (long gone - 9" rear now)  and I've never had any issues with leaking or anything else - of course this was over the course of maybe 15 years. Seems that far too much stuff nowadays is made in China - everyone is going cheap. I had to replace a crank position sensor on my 2004 Cherokee. I  went to the dealership thinking that OEM parts would be better than Autozone. The sensor came in a bag with the Chrysler p/n on it, but it said Made in China......
 

I have heard a LOT of positive reports of guys using Blue Devil stuff....just like this^^^
Not a fan of "mechanic-in-a-can" butt can't argue with success.
6sal6

Ron68 wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

MS wrote:

I routinely install the sleeves, especially on 351w based engines due to the seals not fitting as tight as I think they need to, and by evidence of weeping on seals even in new cranks. The sleeves expand the seal just s little, making it fit tighter. I have never had one with s sleeve on it leak. Can’t say the same about new rear main seals on cranks that look perfect.

Really necessary? Maybe not.
Does it help? Absolutely.

This has me wondering about the seals.  I rebuilt the 10.5" rear in my F250 some months back.  No real issues, except that after maybe 500 miles I was getting a drip from the pinion seal (new yoke and new seal).  I noticed it when I went to change the gear oil after breaking in the R&P.  I was not happy to say the least, but as I ALWAYS use a SOLID pinion spacer it was no big deal to change the seal.  My concern was it leaking again.  Upon pulling the seal I noticed it had "China" stamped into it.  This was a seal that came in the master overhaul kit from Randy's R&P.  The yoke was a new Ford part, so I didn't suspect it was the culprit.  I went to NAPA bought a new SKF seal (German made I believe), put it all back together and no issues in close to 5k miles now.  As this was ongoing I remembered a buddy who lifted his Gladiator and had a real bad pinion seal leak almost immediately (he had the truck regeared for the larger tires).  He thought the shop did something wrong, but I know the guy who owns the shop and he's reputable and they do good work (they fixed it and even cleaned the underside of the truck of gear oil).  The long and short of it is that it seems sadly seals like everything else are no longer what they once were and you need to be real careful which ones you buy.  I can tell you those Randy's seals will go in the garbage on the next rear I do in favor of an SKF. 
 

Interestingly, I live about a mile from the main Randy's R&P in Everett. I have had Randy's do repairs to a couple of Jeeps differentials and an 8" pumpkin that I had in my 68 (long gone - 9" rear now)  and I've never had any issues with leaking or anything else - of course this was over the course of maybe 15 years. Seems that far too much stuff nowadays is made in China - everyone is going cheap. I had to replace a crank position sensor on my 2004 Cherokee. I  went to the dealership thinking that OEM parts would be better than Autozone. The sensor came in a bag with the Chrysler p/n on it, but it said Made in China......
 

My understanding is that the company was bought out or something and now a lot of the stuff is made in China.  I started using them because their stuff was top quality, reasonably priced, and made in the US.  Now it seems its expensive and there are quality issues.  Their ring and pinions are still tops in my book, even though the box for my 10.5" gears said made in China, and its hard to beat Timken bearings, but dumb as stuff like seals are they are important.  I think this is just a reflection of what's happened in this country in terms of business.  Greed is killing us.  We used to make fun of junk that was made in China, because we knew it was junk and that quality US made parts were better.  Now it seems everything is made there and we've resorted to just whining about quality.  All so some CEO can make millions more a year while their workers get paid the same wage they made two decades ago.  If this doesn't change our country is really sunk.