VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc rear main seal

I'm still fighting a rear main leak on my 54 235 engine,tried the best gasket modern seal to no avail,leaks worse.I'm going to put the best gasket #6100 rope seal in using a sneaky pete for the upper half does any one have any experience in this procedure and if so did it solve the oil leak problem.

I have two vehicles with 216s. They both have Best Gasket “rope “ seal and they don’t leak. I was only successful after adjusting the main bearings to their minimum clearances. I pulled the upper half on with picture hanging wire. I pulled the transmission back And dropped the crankshaft some to do the job

I would do a SEARCH of old posts for advice. Chev Nut has plenty as do others. You might find an easier solution.
Keep us all informed of your results

Good luck, Mike

When using the sneeky pete push the rope through as you pull the other end a little past flush and then force as much back into the groove as you can. When fitting the lower half work it into the groove as deep as you can.
Tony

I'm going to first check rear main clearance I think .001-.002 is suppose to be right,does anybody install locator pin in rear main casting or is it just as good to cement bottom seal into groove?

As a dealer for Best Gasket Inc and being their supposed rear main seal guru, any rear main seal if is the correct size and type for the job will work but like anything else, it has to be installed correctly. They do not go in magically by themselves ( if they did, I'd be a millionare). To put a rear main rope seal in chassis probably has to be one the most demanding and aggravating jobs there is. One false move and the total job becomes crap as there is a lot of thing that can go wrong because of all the variables with machining and such. With every rear main seal set we send out, 2 or more lists of suggestions depending upon the type of seal set and any technical information goes with it. Attached In PDF files and a picture are the ones I send out with every Best 6100 rope rear main seal set. Here is a website link https://bestgasket.com/fanfare/ to the Best Gasket page with 4 different articles on rear main seal installation.

Hope this helps you all out.

I do not think a rope seal can successfully. put in with the engine assembled. The seal must be staked in. I do this with a short pc. of broom handle by rolling it in before trimming the ends. A very small dab of permatex #2 on the ends and lots of lube before installing the crank.

I successfully installed a Best rope seal on each of my 216s with the engines in place. I did not stake them either. I did lubricate them with the Lucas oil additive.