Front Main Seal

I use the original type rope front seal, they usually last the life of the engine. With the modern style front seal, you will have to remove the oil pan, timing cover and crankshaft pulley to replace. The shank of the crankshaft pulley will have to be smooth and round. A lot of the new reproduction crankshaft pulleys would cause early failure of the modern seal. I like to keep it simple, the modern seal is a lot more involved to replace with the engine in the car.
 
Here is how I did it. Try the modern seal, when you notice oil all over the pan bottom, replace it with the rope style. Or you could just use the rope first. I will from now on.
 
The new modern seal may work, providing the pulley hub outside diameter runs concentric with the crankshaft, and the surface finish of the pulley hub is perfect.
A lip seal is difficult to seal, running against machined cast iron at the best of times, due to the mineute machined rough surface.
Service life may be a lot less than the original style of packing. I pre oil soak mine for a couple of days, but I know a lot of people don't. Preference I guess.
 
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