Radiator question?

[chengny]

I was asking about dropping the oil pan over at the square body page on facebook, dropping the pan looks easy enough, but those guys said if I'm going to do the pan gasket, I should also do the rear main seal. that sounds a bit risky for a guy with my limited experience, one little slip trying to get the old seal out and I could gouge the crank, then I'd have all sorts of problems, so I'm going to think twice before I attempt that kind of repair.

Aw come on Stu - don't be a ***. No guts, no glory!


Get a Fel-Pro rear main seal kit # BS11829-1 and a Fel-Pro Permadry One Piece Oil Pan Gasket (if your dipstick is on the driver's side, be sure to get the right one)


Drain the oil, remove all the pan bolts and drop the pan.

Remove the oil pump bolt and pull the pump off the rear main cap.

Remove the rear main cap. Looks like this:

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Roll the top half of the seal out of the housing - push up on one side with a screwdriver. The lower half will still be in the seal groove of the rear main bearing cap.

Clean up your oil pan rails and front seal groove with acetone/gasoline and a Scotchbrite pad.

Coat the lip seals with light motor oil - KEEP IT OFF THE MATING ENDS -
In your Felpro package you should find a small installation tool

This tool acts like a "shoehorn" to allow the seal to slide in its cavity without damaging it.

Be sure the lip seal is positioned towards the front of the engine

This seal CAN easily be installed backwards - all mating surfaces should be clean and free of oil

(NOTICE THE DESIGN: oil pressure is exerted against the lip forcing it to seal):

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Position the tip of the tool between the crankshaft and the seal seat in cylinder case
position the seal between the crankshaft and the tip of the tool so the seal bead contacts the tip of the tool.

Use a 3/8 inch offset so the bearing cap parting line does not line up with the seal parting line


Roll the seal around crankshaft using the tool as a "shoehorn"

Push seal up in cylinder case an extra 3/8 inch - this offset will be on the bearing cap half of the seal as well

Install the other seal half in the bearing cap

Apply sealant ( High Temp RTV Silicone ) to the butt seams. Note- the image below does not show the 3/8" offset between the seal butts and the bearing cap seam:

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Install the rear main cap and torque to specs.

Install the oil pump.

Install the oil pan using the Perma-dry gasket. Install this gasket dry - apply a tiny bit of silicone only in the corners - where the pan meets the front and rear seal housings.

 

[Gramps]

I think that's the best explanation/how to I've ever seen - thanks - I think I can worm my way through it with instructions that clear - now to figure out how to drag my computer monitor under the truck with me, so I can look at your pictures as reference while I do the job.

 

[MadOgre]

now to figure out how to drag my computer monitor under the truck with me, so I can look at your pictures as reference while I do the job.

Lol most young people don't even use a PC anymore lol Just goes to show your age I use a PC also if that helps you feel better

 

[Georgeb]

Lol most young people don't even use a PC anymore lol Just goes to show your age I use a PC also if that helps you feel better

I have been known to cover my laptop in Saran wrap and take it under the truck if that counts......

 

[Gramps]

haha, I never have gotten into those smart phones, my wife has one, and it's to much for me to figure out, every time I get ahold of it, I want to chuck it across the room, she's handed it to me a few times to look at something on it, and by the time I have it in my hands, I've inadvertently touched something to cause what ever it was she was trying to show me to disappear from the screen.

 

[MadOgre]

haha, I never have gotten into those smart phones, my wife has one, and it's to much for me to figure out, every time I get ahold of it, I want to chuck it across the room, she's handed it to me a few times to look at something on it, and by the time I have it in my hands, I've inadvertently touched something to cause what ever it was she was trying to show me to disappear from the screen.

LOL don't worry my 4 yr old can use my phone better than I can lol

 

[Gramps]

my dip stick is on the drivers side, SBC 350, is this the pan gasket I want?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-os34510t

 

[chengny]

Yeah, that's it. Notice that it has accommodations for the dipstick penetration on both sides - not just the side you require (i.e. the drivers side). But unfortunately, that is what they sell you if you have an engine that is not really old or really new.

The last time I rebuilt an older 350, the block was forged in the late 70's and - as far as Permadry's were concerned - the double holer was the only option.

I did some research and found out that Permadry pan gaskets for 1986 and up applications come custom made with only one bulge-out for the dipstick (on the RH side). The gasket for SBC's made in 1974 and earlier also come with only one hole dipstick hole (LH side). But for those with a 1975 -1985 version, the only gasket available is the universal, double dipstick hole style.

The unused lobe will stick out past the rails a bit, but it doesn't look that bad. It really only catches your attention when the engine is on the stand:

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The temptation was there to attempt to trim the excess off. But in the end, it was decided that the chance of destroying the integrity of the gasket outweighed my vanity.

 

[Gramps]

Yeah, that's it. Notice that it has accommodations for the dipstick penetration on both sides - not just the side you require (i.e. the drivers side). But unfortunately, that is what they sell you if you have an engine that is not really old or really new.

I saw that with the two dip stick locations, I agree with you, it'll be better to leave it, and not trim it off.

I'll order the seal and pan gasket, both items shipped is 30 bucks through ebay - that don't sound like a bad price.

I'm going to pull the radiator back out and re seat it on the bottom, how I mised that I don't know, but it's pretty obvious.