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rear main leaking on 1955

Started by ARROWHEADBODY, March 25, 2013, 11:14:01 AM

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ARROWHEADBODY

has any one ever changed the rear main rope seal while engine is in car with pulling it through without removing the crank.  They make a little tool for locking into the rope seal.  Engine was just rebuilt, hate to take it back out again  Thanks

Jay Friedman

I've done it on a '49 which has a similar 331 motor. 

Once the oil pan is removed, loosen but don't remove the bolts on the 4 front main bearing and remove, of course, the rear main bearing cap.  This will lower the crankshaft a thousandth of an inch or some infintesimal amount like that, which will make a difference.  Then, insert the tool you mention (called by some mechanics a "monkey's finger") into one side of the half of the seal in the block.  At the same time, push a flat wooden dowel or other similar tool against the other side of the seal.  (Be careful to not scratch the cransshaft if you use a metal tool.)  Then, pulling with the monkey's finger and pushing against the other side of the seal with the dowel, ease it out.  Once it is out a bit on the monkey's finger side, you could just grab it with a pliers and pull. 

As a substitute for the monkey's finger, you could screw a small wood or sheet metal screw into one side of the half of the seal in the block and pull on the screw head with a pliers. 

You just push in the new seal half and trim it as well as the half in the bearing cap as per the instructions in the shop manual.

You may want to consider replacing the rope seal with a neoprene rubber seal.  They are sold by Terrill Machine Co., Deleon, Texas. 

Good luck.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Roger Zimmermann

To take the old seal is easy; to insert a new one is another matter. I tried several times to seal the rear main on my cars; I only succeed when I used the neoprene seal.
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Dave Shepherd

If the crank journal surface is knurled in the area of the rear seal contact, the neoprene seal will not usually work. Try and pry down on the crank after all the caps are loose you will gain a little more clearance.

ARROWHEADBODY

Thanks for the ideas.  I will check into the neoprene seal, I was told by my engine builder there was none for my engine.

Roger Zimmermann

Quote from: ARROWHEADBODY on March 26, 2013, 09:00:29 AMI was told by my engine builder there was none for my engine.
Obviously, he does not know everything...The seals are made by Best Gasket and, yes, Terrill Machine among others, is selling them.
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Jay Friedman

I was once told that the neoprene seal for the 331 engine is actually a seal made for some Mercedes Benz motor that happens to be the right size.  May or may not be true, but a good story, anyway. 
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

D.Yaros

In the version of this story that I heard/read the other make was Ford, not Mercedes?
Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

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