I've been Murphyed

[GPster]

OK here's the latest.Getting ready for the last flood everything in my garage is up on saw horses and tables so there's no room for the truck in there. So the truck gets to sit on our new, textured, tinted concrete driveway. I have been using the occasion to let the engine run and let the transmission turn the wheels (axel on jackstands) and Murphy has reeled his predictable unpredictable head. The rear main seal now leaks. This is a 1953 Chevy 235 six with full pressure oiling. Looking for suggestion along the line of adding 4 oz. brake fluid to the oil in your automatic transmission. Are these seals somethind that can be fixed without pulling the crank? What is the "old time" fix?  GPster

[1FATGMC]

OK here's the latest.Getting ready for the last flood everything in my garage is up on saw horses and tables so there's no room for the truck in there. So the truck gets to sit on our new, textured, tinted concrete driveway. I have been using the occasion to let the engine run and let the transmission turn the wheels (axel on jackstands) and Murphy has reeled his predictable unpredictable head. The rear main seal now leaks. This is a 1953 Chevy 235 six with full pressure oiling. Looking for suggestion along the line of adding 4 oz. brake fluid to the oil in your automatic transmission. Are these seals somethind that can be fixed without pulling the crank? What is the "old time" fix?  GPster

My moto is "oil is cheap".  Everything I have leaks oil, even the fairly new rototiller.  My theory is it keeps the dust down in front of the store as we have a gravel parking lot.

You could also pretend it is a cousin to a Harley  .

c ya, Sum

[47wood]

"Old Time Fix" is put a pan under her in the garage. LOL ...otherwise you've got a nice winter project.  Good Luck,  

[Dave]

OK here's the latest.Getting ready for the last flood everything in my garage is up on saw horses and tables so there's no room for the truck in there. So the truck gets to sit on our new, textured, tinted concrete driveway. I have been using the occasion to let the engine run and let the transmission turn the wheels (axel on jackstands) and Murphy has reeled his predictable unpredictable head. The rear main seal now leaks. This is a 1953 Chevy 235 six with full pressure oiling. Looking for suggestion along the line of adding 4 oz. brake fluid to the oil in your automatic transmission. Are these seals somethind that can be fixed without pulling the crank? What is the "old time" fix?  GPster

Well ill have to look in the book later. I think I have one that covers it but id almost bet it has the old rope type seal. Heres the way an old chevy mechanic told me how to do it after i did it the hard way. Of course the pan has to be removed and a new rope type seal purchased and pan gaskets etc. Cut a piece of the rope seal id try maybe a 1/2 inch long piece after removing the rear main cap. Using a brass or preferably aluminum punch drive the new piece in the grove and cutting off any excess. Then replace the lower half of the seal with the new uncut material and put er back together. He told me he never replaced the top half cause it was a pain in the you know what and adding a short piece tightened it up so it would seal and the lower half was easy to put in cause it was out of the engine. Im heading to the garage now Joe so ill get my book out and look for ya.  Of course i say it has a rope seal but ive been wrong before. I had a spare rope seal but it went with the tools...

Back in a bit
Dave

[Dave]

Ok Joe dont look like they had the rubber seals till about 59. Now they do make a tool to install the whole top seal but about the only way got get it on is to rotate the crank while pulling it through... a major pain in the keester. I also had the tool but its gone too. When my old friend the retired gm mechanic told me what he did i just chuckled cause this guy was good and he wouldnt do it unless it worked. I had the tool cause i replaced the seal in my old 29 with a 283 chevy  about 20 years ago and if i had to do it again id use his idea in a heartbeat no pun intended. Once you start the process and see how the seal is installed and how it works you will get the idea. Just use as much as you can drive in without moving the old seal out and remember to trim the ends good I think i used an xacto knife as the main cap has to sit flat when its put back on and any seal material that could squeeze out on the main cap surface and not let it seat flat. Of course you can put it back on and tighten it some then remove it and check it a couple times. If i remember right thats what I did. you can never be tool careful if ya know what i mean
Dave

[GPster]

Of course i say it has a rope seal but ive been wrong before.
Dave

I just checked on the WEB and on the Stovebolt site. According to the chevy used the rope seal to '55 when they machine the rack of the block for the newer neoprene seal. They gave great directions on how to put the rope in the main cap but nothing was said about the upper part of the rope in the block. This is just the type of information I was hoping for ( like not changing the crush tube on the pinion of a 9" Ford "pumpkin"

[enjenjo]

That's the way it was done back in the day Joe. The only time I ever replaced the whole top half was when I had the crank out for an overhaul.

[Dave]

Of course i say it has a rope seal but ive been wrong before.
Dave

I just checked on the WEB and on the Stovebolt site. According to the chevy used the rope seal to '55 when they machine the rack of the block for the newer neoprene seal. They gave great directions on how to put the rope in the main cap but nothing was said about the upper part of the rope in the block. This is just the type of information I was hoping for ( like not changing the crush tube on the pinion of a 9" Ford "pumpkin"

The way to change the crush spacer on a 9 inch when changing the seal is to measure it and make non crush type on the lathe and just put er back to gether... I did that with my 8 inch and it saves a lot of screwing around.
Oh ya i dunno bout frank but no charge here for the info
Dave

[Jokester]

I've seen this done with some success.  Pull the pan, pull the cap, replace the bottom half with the new rope seal.  For the top half, just drive some small gauge wire into or behind the rope that's there.  It will swell the old rope enough to snug it up to the crank.  Small skinny nail will also work.  Take care not to hit the crank, you're just trying to swell the rope.  You are only trying to gain a few thousandths, so don't go overboard.  I've heard that too much swelling will tighten it up enough to prevent the starter from turning it over.

My 2 cents.  Good luck.    

.bjb

[soldermonkey]

The procedure for replacing the seal in the car for those who care is as follows;
After removing the pan remove the rear main cap, loosen the remaining main caps and allow the crank to drop about .020-.030".  Screw installer/remover tool into old seal and while rotating crank in the direction of seal removal, pull on remover and slide old seal out of the block. To install new seal push installer tool into the seal groove of the block over the top of the crank and thread into the center of one end of the new seal, oil outside of new seal and pull into the block while turning the crank in the direction of seal travel. After pulling seal fully around the seal groove, remove installer and tighten all the main caps while leaving the rear cap off, this will reseat the crank. Trim the new seal ends flush to .030 long and then reinstall the rear main cap with new seal in place. Torque to spec then rotate crank 2 revolutions and remove rear main cap and check to make sure no seal material is crushed on to main cap mating surface. Remove any crushed material from main cap seating surface and then reinstall main cap and tighten to spec. Reinstall oil pan, oil and then hope it worked.
If you would care to try this method I can loan you the tool. The tool looks like a small corkscrew on the end of some speedometer cable with a "T" handle on the other end.

Good Luck
dave

[Crosley.In.AZ]

soldermonkey posts the method I am aware of.

I drove my Falcon last week for a while.  Now the rear main on it is leaking too much for any drag strip use.  


But it does look like I have found some lower priced  forged pistons for the 200 cid engine for the car.