Hot Rods Fresh Motor rope seals leaking Solutions???

Started driving my coupe last week. Went to a show Saturday and got back noticed both front and rear main seals are leaking pretty goods. Spoke to my motor guy and said he would get me an additive that might cure it. Anyone ever heard of that? Any ideas of how to resolve the leaks. Leaking pretty good. NOT just a drip. Car is running about 45-55 lbs of pressure if that helps?
Motor is a 54 331 Caddy......

 

For the rear main, get a Best Gasket neoprene 2-piece seal, about $30 tops plus labor.
Don't know about the front.

 

what type of additive? both front and rear? something is not right.

 

Not sure . He's getting me some. I'll let you guys know.

 

Seals improperly installed is my first guess. An additive, not likely. Did Cadillac ever use an additive- no.

 

My thought also Dodge. He's a good builder. I'm sure he'll make good.

 

Is the pan easily removable ? I would install new seals rather than an additive,it would always be on your mind that the goop is eventually is going to break down ,not to mention an expensive build should be right.hows that coupe running otherwise? finished pis?

 

Yep, that goop might just swell the seals for a while but that effect will go away. get it done right.

 

Got breathers? Pcv? sometimes excess pressure pushes oil out.

 

either breathers like premiere said or the seals were improperly installed , they are a pain if not put in right , you littlery have to compress the heck out of them when installing them to get the length cut right so they stay compresssed and if they are not compressed /cut to length( too short) they leak like a sieve , we use a chunk of crank or a rolling pin to install them also never lub them they go in dry and burnish in . but also since asbestos is gone rope seals kind of suck , on Pontiacs we try to convert them to a rubber lip seal or reuse the old ones if they do not leak .

 

They are very tricky to install without leaking. But it can be done without resorting to additives. Beside what Stimpy said, I also remember to offset the mating surfaces of the 2 pieces a bit so they don't line up with the bearing cap mating lines. Leave a little extra so it compresses a bit, as well.

 

Can the correction be made by pulling the pan and not pulling the motor?

 

What he said... the rope seals are usually problematic.
Is the front seal a lip type or the old ring of felt? I haven't had leakage issues with the felt seal on my engine, but getting that thing into the groove in the front timing cover was a royal pain...

 

Anyone remember the kits they sold in the old days to fix this? A tool that drove a length of fairly soft metal rod up in behind the seal to push it toward the crank. Pretty handy for Y-blocks back in the day.

 

you should be able to drop the pan and get at the rear seal but sometimes its better to pull the motor and replace it on the stand as you might have a pain removing the old seal and have to pull the crank so it doesn't get nicked .

 

I'm trying to remember how these Caddys are designed. Isn't there a slinger in the front? There shouldn't be any pressure on the seal if the crankcase is properly vented.

 

BMWs leaked at front and rear seals in 1974. Parts had a can of 'absolute stop leak for oil', so I decided to 'obey' the service manager and try it.
Punched the can open with the special piercing nozzles, and waited. The sealant never came out, just sealed the can as we punched it.

 

My center carb was flooding on the way to the show. Maybe gas in the oil thinned it enough to pass through gasket. Wasn't leaking during my first run out about 10 miles. I changed my oil oil today and added new additive. Just in case.

 

The trick for keeping rope seals on Model A engines from leaking is to let them soak in oil for 24 hours before installation.

 

Been sitting long? If dried out, the additive will work for a while. It softens rubber like products.

 

My dad said they used to sharpen the end of a thin brazing rod and do that.

 

A lot of guys make the mistake of cutting the overlapping end of the rope off. In the old days we used to put the rope in a vise and squash it a little to flatten it. Then put both ends in level with the block and force the remainder in so the entire rope is in with no overhang. Worked like it was supposed to.

 

Now that makes sense.

 

Additives may work to soften and swell rubber seals. Rope seals ain't rubber so I wouldn't bother with chemical fixes.

I'd check the oil level. Rope seals aren't really seals as much as they are dams to hold back overflow, or rather to catch splashes and flow them back inside. If the pan is overfilled or the car is parked on a sharp angle there's likely to be some spillage.

 

Dont know if they still do but Snap On used to sell a tool to change rode seal out with just dropping the pan and the crank in place. It worked great on my old pontiac.

 

i have done them that way. a few tips;
1. take the pan down and let it sit over night.....or longer. you will still get dripped on but not as much.
2. loosen all the main caps.
3. when putting the "chinese" fingers on the rope, you can only grab a little bit of the rope. if you grab too much you end up pulling it too far out before you could get it off of the seal.
4. use a remote starter button to bump the engine as you try to pull the rope around.
5. buy an extra seal.

 

Not a rubber seal. Rope

 

I've seen my buddy change the deal that way 33anda3rd.ay have to call on him. I changed the oil and I'll try a run soon as I get a chance