292 rear main seal

G

Grumpy Rick

Senior Member
I think I read somewhere that there is a way to replace the rear main seal on my '55 T-Bird without removing the motor and trans.

I know my memory is faulty, but in this case is it correct? If so, where can I read up on it?
 
I think the concern is can you do it 'in chassis' with a BIRD?

It is very difficult to remove the trans from a BIRD without pulling the engine/trans assembly. Is this your concern?
 
I don't know what the "base " is. I helped a friend change the rear main seal on a 57 Tbird while the engine was still in the car. Easier with the neophrene seal. Lubing the seal before tightening up is very important.


After dropping the pan, you need to unbolt or loosen the main caps to lower the crank a little to slide the seal in the upper (block)portion. Follow the instructions about offsetting the seal


The rope seal can be done in the same manner I suppose. There is a gadget that grabs the seal so it can be pulled around the crank (don't remember the name of it).


Proper installation of the side seals is very important.
 
paul2748 said:
I don't know what the "base " is. I helped a friend change the rear main seal on a 57 Tbird while the engine was still in the car. Easier with the neophrene seal. Lubing the seal before tightening up is very important.


After dropping the pan, you need to unbolt or loosen the main caps to lower the crank a little to slide the seal in the upper (block)portion. Follow the instructions about offsetting the seal


The rope seal can be done in the same manner I suppose. There is a gadget that grabs the seal so it can be pulled around the crank (don't remember the name of it).


Proper installation of the side seals is very important.
Click to expand...

Gadget is called a "Sneaky Pete". It was a length of small steel cable with a "Chinese finger" on one end and several "funnels" that squeezed the seal down to fit into the groove as you pulled on the seal as you rotated the crank.

I just checked online and this tool is still available. It's made by Lisle, #27000. Advanced Auto Parts and other places online.
 
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nobody ever heard of a base thats the thing that bolts to the bottom of the motor.sorry i dont have a picture.
 
I’ve done the rear main on my 55 bird in the car using the methods and tools above. Same with the 312 in my roadster. Read the Ted Eaton article and follow it exactly. Patience and safety glasses (for dripping oil) are your friends.
 
I know that Ted Eaton had various articles on his web site. Looking at it lately I couldn't find them. What do I look under?
 
Thanks everybody. I have the car at a friends shop. He is a good mechanic, but too young to know much about Y-blocks.

I will pass the info on to him, and thanks again.

Sneaky Pete I remember hearing about, but not neoprene seals.

Rick
 
Grumpy Rick...I just finished doing the rear main seal on my 55 sedan with the engine in the car for the second time in a year. The first time I was able to slow down the leak but not stop it. This time there are no leaks or drips. If your using a neoprene seal set from NAPA the Felpro brand supplies a small plastic '' shoehorn'' in the plastic bag. After you have removed the lower seal cap and loosened all the crank bolts and if you do not have a sneaky pete or something similar you can take a fish hook with a piece of wire and put the barb thru the end of the rope seal and you can pull it out that way.
The challenging part is to get the new RUBBER seal in without peeling the back of the rubber seal as you attempt to slide it around the back of the crankshaft...here is where that plastic shoehorn comes in. Tell your mechanic that he will have to bend that sleeve to curve it to fit between the back of the seal and the block. Also, lube the seal liberally with assembly lube or grease and gently try to slide the rear seal in. Don`t rush.
What I find that worked best for me was to lube the side seals and also the sides of the engine block to make it easier to slide the seals in, then install the side seals into the cap with the ends slightly ahead of the cap,1/4" or so and those side seal tips pinched inwards so the seals start to slide in just as your pushing the cap upward. If the side seals start to bind then remove everything and start again after you have added a little more lube. If the side seals do not go completely flush to the block, no more than1/4" the installation of the side nails should push it in the rest of the way.
The nail set I received had flat or square cut tips, bevel the nails slightly, not pointed as the pointed tip can actually get stuck in the rubber of the side seal. Lube the nails liberally before installing. Tap from one side to the other in an even matter. Good luck
 
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