Rear Main Seal failure due to dirt getting in the inspection hole?

Just saw this review where Jim described a Rear Main Seal failure due to dirt getting in the inspection hole. I searched but couldn't find any posts about this specific issue. Has anyone else experienced this? Perhaps this guy pushes his rig to the max? Here's a sample of his off-roading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOJFDHOMCjw

 

Have not come across such posts or seen anyone else report issues with the rear main leaking. Although, every time I watch this guy’s videos I get severely stressed out. His 4Runner really is a testament as to how much abuse they can endure. That poor thing gets beat on relentlessly.
And that he has not flipped over yet is a miracle in itself. He sure as heck came extremely close several times.... again, pure miracle lol

 

Not sure if you would call him an great off road driver or foolish for taking so many chances. Thought he was going to flip a few times.

 

He is on his 3rd rear main I believe including the original, he puts a piece of duct tape over the inspection hole before he wheels now. I do the same!

 

im going ro do the tape thing also. can i just leave it on there?

 

What are the mechanics behind this failure? Is it dirt entering the back of the engine during water crossing? Can it happen with a simple off-road driving on dusty roads?

Seems like a serious day-ender type problem with a huge price-tag to boot, so definitely good to take some preventative measures.

And while I agree that Jim's driving style is probably more aggressive than most (certainly mine), I still think it's worth to learn from his experience. I also have great respect for folks that push the boundaries of what's possible and then share their experience.

 

It has to be the water crossings. Anyone with two working noodles in the bugging knows that they’re horrible for any submerged bearing or seal. Best way to cause premature wheel bearing hub failure, and really everything else that gets under water.
It looks epic on the video - but is horrible for the vehicle

 

I pitty the people who buy these vehicles after they are done with them...whats really sad...theyll probly get top dollar...

 

Indeed. That thing is beat on relentlessly.
There are many 4runners that have well over 100k and many off-road miles with zero issues. But deep water fording is horrible for any lubricated parts that get submerged. Especially mud or saltwater.

 

Blasting through the Florida Clay, Lime and Mud puddles is what most likely eroded his seal. There is so much crap suspended in the water of those areas. Very acidic properties in all of that stuff. My armor has permanent discoloring in the powder coating because of it. Crossing water is sometimes a necessity with having a bow wave an advantage, but going as fast as he did in several of those clips is what I think killed the seal.
I always go home and put a good pressure sprinkler under my truck for several minutes, moving it around to knock everything off, and then finish up with a decent blast from my pressure washer at medium settings.
Everything else he does in this vid is most likely not going to hurt too many critical parts with regular maintenance. But, yea I would never buy that truck lol. Some poor buyer will most likely get it off a lot after he trades it in.
On the up side, I doubt he has any rodent damage, with a good coating of crap all over his wiring.

 

So where is this inspection hole? Anybody got a photo of this?

 

Does anyone have a picture to identify the location of this inspection hole?

 

Gosh I hope I don’t get a rear main leak. I had an old Explorer never taken off road or seen winter and that damn thing saw five new rear mains over 20 some years. Ford said it was design flaw from Cologne Germany and they revised the deal.

Even the Ford dealer would pull trans/engine install new rear main and it would leak before they gave it back to me. Then countless other issues.

That is how I ended up going with 4R. It’s sad when my family worked for Ford and I live in Michigan.

 

Wonder about his suspension and if he has skid plates??

 

Forgot what it was, but one of his videos he does a walk around. Has a 3inch lift I think. And full skids.

 

Looks like my daily commute.... to the basement.

 

I think he’s worked up to this level of comfort over several years of off-roading with the 4runner. Watched a few of his video.

If you’re not bashing down hard on everything, manage your momentum, use low, I think this isnt necessarily abuse. Yeah, you'll go through bushings, transmission fluid, and maybe shocks at a faster pace, but that’s just means sticking to a more severe use maintenance schedule.

Basically if he didnt maintain it and tried to sell it, it would probably sound like crap.

But I would like to find that inspection hole…

 

Jim Rose is a top driver, highly skilled and has steel nerves, he makes Black Bear Pass look easy. That is a picture from Poughkeepsie Gulch, I don't know anyone that can do that trail with a simple modified 4R.

 

Jim Rose has more than 100K miles mostly trailing all over the US, from beaches & sand dunes to the rocks in Moab, he has had no real damage and just keeps up the normal maintenance; that's how good the 4R is, it's a testament for the 4R.

 

There's an old saying in the motorcycle world and it just as easily applies here. Some are born with a better bubble in their butt than others.

This young fellow has good instincts too. This video was when his 4R PRO had stage 1 suspension. He's currently on 35's with serious suspension work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw2Qxey5j7s&t=3s

 

I guess not many of you off road

 

Are we supposed to bow now........or give it a few?

 

Once & a while on the Jeep course in Austin!

 

Wow. Shameless.
Glad to hear you like blue footed seabirds as well.

 

May as well try to keep it out of the trans too. If the trans vent sucks enough water you can't write it off too. fwiw