View single post by Dan (Florida)
 Posted: 12-08-2010 03:17 pm
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Dan (Florida)

 

Joined: 03-16-2005
Location: Ormond Beach, Florida USA
Posts: 97
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 Well I suppose it's back to the drawing board on this rear seal change. The new seal leaks as bad as the old one and picked up a water pump leak in the bargain. The car runs beautiful but still spots the driveway  in excess.

 The rope seal is not an easy install as it is very hard and has to be forced into a narrow spline groove in the block and bearing cap. It mashes out in both directions to form a wide sealing surface.  You can't just set it in place and clamp the crankshaft down on it without cutting it to length first which will probably make it too short when you are done clamping. I tried forming it into the main bearing cap by tapping it down with a large socket and hammer to compress it into the spline groove. If you compress too much it will leak, not enough and the crank will not turn over. I formed each half in the cradle half and installed one in the block half and it ended up short. The other end had to be cut long which frayed. I sealed the ends with gasket sealer  but it didn't seem to work.  The seal comes wrapped with a white fabric woven around it with blue lines in it. There wasn't any instructions with it on which direction the lines go  or if it should be sealed into the groove with a sealer. I also wonder if heating the rope before installing would help it to form better.

There must be a British technique to be followed that we are unaware of.

Any thoughts.  The second teardown should be much easier (and cleaner)

Dan