First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... That's why I made the comment I did a few days ago. I have replaced the rear main seal on a few engines with the Viton seal without totally removing the crank, BUT, I did pull the engines and had them on an engine stand. I removed the rear cap as well as the next one back and I loosened the rest allowing me to pry the crank up (with the engine upside down). I then used a piece of piano wire to run it under the half on the block side and that loosened the rope seal so that it could come out in one piece (if it disintegrates it's hard to clean the groove even with the crank pried up a tiny bit). Once the grooves are clean you can follow the instructions to install the Viton seal.
To try to do this while under the car, even with the engine lifted up, would be ALMOST impossibe (not impossible but certainly a PITA or neck or ....) If you are rebuilding the engine and you don't trust the Viton seal (or the block has the groove issues mentioned before), then I would use a rope seal since the crank would be out and there would be no issue. Hugo ________________________________ From: Kelly R <[email protected]> To: First Generation Firebird-L <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:38:21 PM Subject: RE: [FGF] rope rear main seals First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List .......................................................................... Pete I am absolutely no expert, but from everything I have read, I think it would be very difficult to properly install a rope seal with the crank still in place. Trimming the rope ends to exactly the correct "stick-out" seems to be the trick. This page shows the way the "Best Gasket" company's rope seal is trimmed. I am only using this page because it shows how the rope seal is trimmed. The Pontiac kit looks exactly the same. http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0810sr_bestgasket_rope_seals_ford_y_bloc k/photo_07.html Not sure how one could do this accurately with crank still in place. Actually not sure how one can even get a solid rubber one in perfectly either, as trimming the ends on them perfectly is also the trick. Good luck with your quest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> Donations: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store/cart.mv?999999> FGF Merchandise: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store>
