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Bruce Lancaster · 05-22-2012, 10:53 AM

Well--I've never had to replace the rope seal in the car, all of mine have held up well after overhaul, but I think you are going about this wrong. Your '46 should have a cast zinc holder for that seal...loosen things up to slightly drop crank, use a punch (brass or other soft metal if possible) and tap on the end of the zinc holder. Unless the builder used a really killer sealant in there, it should rotate out.
Then you can install the seal into it, pack the rope down as well as possible with a cylindrical tool (or perhaps just tap the assembly against the exposed lower curve of crank) then with crank still loose add sealer and rotate the thing into its home.

05-22-2012, 10:53 AM	#8
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: rear main seal 46 ford flathead v8 Well--I've never had to replace the rope seal in the car, all of mine have held up well after overhaul, but I think you are going about this wrong. Your '46 should have a cast zinc holder for that seal...loosen things up to slightly drop crank, use a punch (brass or other soft metal if possible) and tap on the end of the zinc holder. Unless the builder used a really killer sealant in there, it should rotate out. Then you can install the seal into it, pack the rope down as well as possible with a cylindrical tool (or perhaps just tap the assembly against the exposed lower curve of crank) then with crank still loose add sealer and rotate the thing into its home.