What advice do you have for a first timer swapping in a 5-speed?

[e30davie]

More often than not a non-leaking rear or front main seal is replaced with good intentions and then the new seal leaks. its a case by case basis thing, but with lip seals if they are working as they should its often a bad idea to disturb it.

I just had the clutch changed on my 2011 forester and the mechanic said the same thing when i asked him about the rear main. No sign of leaking = no touchy touchy.

[jgilber0]

I've read they break very easily and frequently. I got a brass one for $15 iirc.

Thank you - just ordered a brass one

[jgilber0]

More often than not a non-leaking rear or front main seal is replaced with good intentions and then the new seal leaks. its a case by case basis thing, but with lip seals if they are working as they should its often a bad idea to disturb it.

I just had the clutch changed on my 2011 forester and the mechanic said the same thing when i asked him about the rear main. No sign of leaking = no touchy touchy.

Interesting – opinion seems to be split 50-50 on this.

I don’t know if mine is leaking or not. My rear main seal has 110,000 miles and 27 years on it, probably all hard and nasty versus those in our Subarus (I have a 2015 Forester).

We’ll see what we find when we get in there.