[arkracing]

Originally Posted by thecatseye66

No, but now that you mention it maybe I should. Is there a better type of main seal I should use--like a Fel-pro or something? Should I do the front too?

I know you can remove the upper half without removing the crank by driving it out partway and grabbing the other end, but what is the best method to insert the new one?

The felpro's come with a little plastic tab to insert the new one (so you don't rip the back of it all up when installing) - just lube it up good and make sure you don't put it in backwards. You're going to have the pan off to do the oil pump so you might as well do the rear main - if the timing cover is still off I would do the front seal as well.

to get the "upper" half of the seal out (part that will be under the crank) - there is usually a little dowel pin where the rear main cap is (I know it is on the SBC's I can't remember it is on the BBC's or not) - I use this a fulcrom for a screwdriver and just move the seal out a little @ a time - it's really not that hard to do. You can also do it the way you said push it through a little grab it with some pliers or whatever - just be careful to not scratch the rear main journal.

Also you might want to "offset the rear main from the block - leave one side of the rear main sticking up past the block and then do the opposite with the cap. - just so the split in the rear main doesn't match the split of the cap to block. I don't think it will really make that much of a differance but have rear in a couple places that shops like to do that.