When I did not have the rear main seal addressed when I had the original work done.  I only had stuff that might strand me done by the mechanic I had used.  Today I spent the day dealing with the rear main seal.  I have the Haynes Manual, but there are better write ups online for this bit of work. (I used one from a site called dailydriventj, any web search will get you hits (keywords, wrangler rear main seal replacement))

In a nutshell the process goes like this: Empty Oil, Remove oil pan, remove rear main seal cap, remove rear main seal from cap half, and from engine block, clean mating surface of the rear seal cap, install new rear seal into engine block, then into the seal cap.  Now the important bit, use anearobic rtv on the seal cap, anearobic rtv cures when it has no air, IE after it is torqued down to specs.  Install the Seal cap, and torque to correct specs (85ft lbs), finally reinstall the oil pan, after cleaning any old gasket off, and cleaning both mating surfaces.  Finally refill with new oil, and might as well replace the oil filter, and your oil change is done as well.  It took me about 5 1/2 hours to get it all done. Not counting the break I took to pickup the lightbar I had found the night before.   But its anywhere from $500-$800 to do it at the shops, and the supplies are about $70.  Including oil and new oil filter.

Here are some pics from the process:

Oil Pan Dropped

Half way through process

Reinstalled and cleaned up!

The pan still had a cork gasket, so I doubt it’s ever been off before.  Getting the upper seal half out of the engine block was a pain in the butt, that was the hardest part.  But it is a messy job…