rope seal replacement

When I built my motor I was on a timeline the city kept issuing fines for me working on it which started at 150 and doubled each time. So I rushed the install. Couldn't find a rope seal. Now I must drop pan and install the seal any advice.. Do I have to rove timing chain and cover...

............No, don't use a rope seal, get a neoprene 1...u still have to remove the oil pan............kim.......

Theres only one good reason to use the ropeseal.And thats if the block has been incorrectly, or heavily, line-honed, and the neoprene one no longer contacts the crank correctly.The rope seals can be a royal PITA to successfully install.Especially laying on your back under that baby on the cold, hard,ground.

Why would the city care, unless you must park on the street? I dealt with that with my 69 Dart in Atlanta after the engine failed and I had only on-street parking. One cop decided it was the most critical thing in the neighborhood to hassle me. I just rolled it a few feet down the hill each time he chalked my tires, then pushed it back up w/ my truck. After a year I finished my garage and moved it there and replaced the engine. Some people actually do "fix that old car".

All the gasket kits I have seen have the rubber 2-piece rear seal. You can replace it w/ just the oil pan off. You must remove the aluminum "seal holder". I also removed the oil pickup tube so I could clean the screen (often clogs w/ gunk). You push the top half seal around the crank. First, clean out the groove by pushing a cloth soaked in ethanol thru. There is a better quality seal made for the hemi engine that interchanges. They used it in the Slant Six rebuild on the Power Nation cable show you can find linked here.

When you install the 2 piece neoprene seal, offset the seal end gaps from the seal retainer-to-block parting line by a few degrees, and put a bit of RTV on the ends of the seal halves (just a tiny dab).

Best results are to smooth the edges of the small knurled diagonal groove pattern in the seal area, but that is hard to do in-car. Those are made to work with the rope seal.

Make sure to use a good sealant around the seal retainer and the little rubber retainer side gaskets to the pan; black RTV is good.

Don't touch the timing cover; that is not necessary. Jacking/lifting up the engine may be needed to get the pan off.

If you remove the oil pickup, be sure to get it aligned right when re-installing, so that the pickup screen is near to the pan bottom.

If you do use the rope seal; use a fine brass wire hooked through the seal half to slowly pull through the upper half.

Yeah, you cant push a rope. Al least not successfully. Dont even try. You will peel back the entryway, and when it maybe finally comes out the other side there will be no way to successfully seal it.Get the tool.
Or loosen all the mains and drop the crank down.I havent tried this.

Lots of good advice. I figure I could drop the crank to put it on but if its not necessary that's great I didn't know if not having it could negatively effect oil pressure. BTW the car was in my drive way. But nosy neighbors called in and complained.