Can old rope rear main seal be replaced with BEST#3764 while crank still in?

[joe28704]

Hi everyone,
Was interested to now if anyone has knowledge of weather or not the BEST#3764 molded (w/ steel insert) can successfully be installed with crank still in the block? Bob's Automobilia (wonderfully helpful and understanding of my plight) that sells them can't say, and instructions with seal kit makes no mention of issue.
Removal of the rear main cap (to replace bearing, don't ask ) showed the newly installed rope seal rotated out 1/4" or so during cam break in( I don't recall lubing seal, thus friction). The 1/4" sticking out of flush will surely get crushed and not allow cap to sit flush properly when reinstalled.
One posible solution is to fabricate a razor tool go down (in this case "up" since one is on one's back) and attempt to shave flush the protruding rope, the other end is surely retreated in the grove 1/4" but the cap side rope has also skidded in 1/4" to take up void an is nicely sticking out ready to be cut if a tool could successfully be gotten in the area to flush cut it too.( I'm reasonably confident at fabricating a tool an it succeeding )
However, I sure would like to hear of any successful attempts to use this molded seal so I can yank out the rope and rotate in the new molded one and avoid fooling with the rope altogether.
Thanks for any feedback.
Joe

[suntreemcanic]

If the new replacement seal is a two piece seal I see no reason after removing the rope seal that the upper portion of the replacement seal could not be rolled in to place. Then install the lower portion of the new seal into the rear main cap.

[Buick Guy]

Why reinvent the wheel? They used the rope seal successfully from 1937 to 1996. Doug

[joe28704]

One other option I see is to remove the lower half of the seal (seen dangling in the picture), this will leave a 1/2" or so void in the engine side groove.
twisting in a "corkscrew" seal removal tool (I have one on order) into that end, I may be able to pull it back out until it is back flush with the mating surface and at the same time suck back in the 1/2" or so seen sticking out at the picture. This seems like the best no brainer attempt to make before yanking It all out and dealing with new seal issues weather molded or rope.
One more question: is it acceptable practice to "poke/tamp" in a "wad" of graphite rope to make -up for any gap or void left after attempt to pull seal back to flush?( the ends wont be nice and clean as if freshly cut, so poking some extra material in the ends will 'Fill" the block side end grooves)
Pulling the engine is not a viable option for me at this time, and won't be considered until all other options are exhausted.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

[bob k. mando]

Why reinvent the wheel? They used the rope seal successfully from 1937 to 1996. Doug



they successfully leaked oil onto the garage floor from 1937 to 1996.

properly installed, neoprene seals leak far less oil AND have less parasitic drag than rope. iow, fractionally more power gets to your rear wheels.

[joe28704]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. The whole issue arose when I removed the rear main cap to inspect bearing and discovered the rope seals had rotated about 1/2", this condition would not allow the cap to go back in without obvious issue. Since the rope seals were new (30min run time) the upper one was VERY tight and would have been the devil to remove. After receiving the BEST#3764 molded seal (it would present its own new set of installation issues)I concluded my best first option was to "rework" with what was already installed. I fabricated a "hoe" type tool out of a disposable shaver to go up next to the seal mating surface and cut "shifted out" section of rope, did the same with to the other end of the seal that had 1/2" of the cap side seal imbedded into the block. The operation was successful as you can see from the pictures. I would add I would have NEVER/EVER been able to cut the seals cleanly if they were not the 100% graphite rope provided by BEST Gaskets (It cut very very easy). In contrast the rope I used to redo the cap seal as provided by FEDERAL MOGUL had some very tough fibrous material that would not cut with the finest/sharpest razor and it was an ORDEAL to get two flush cuts on the cap side. (fiber material would not allow a clean cut leaving unruly fibers and a general mess). My strong advice for what it's worth is to avoid FEDERAL MOGUL rope product and work with the BEST GASKET product (it is so very much easier to work with!!)
After inspecting and deciding to replace (scoring from trash in oil passages I presume) all main bearings (with crank still in) I fired up the old gal and idling it for an hour the squeaking noise I had head was gone.
The trans I rebuilt now does not show any oil pressure, but that is another problem for another day : )
Thanks again for all your help.

[350Bandit]

I got rid of rope seal and used a Ford 460 ream main seal mounted off center and no leaks in my 350

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

[Jenz38]

Thanks for postin'
I drive also the Best Gasket seal since years very succesfully.

[Airy Cat]

All old Buicks leak oil. Oil is cheap.

[BornBuick]

… Thanks for the follow up. Perhaps we missed something here, but our only concern is you having cut both ends of the seals at the bearing cap/block juncture mating surface line. As a rule one protrudes the opposing ends 1/4 inch and also one askews the opposing ends so there is not a clean break at the bearing cap at this block mating juncture.