Are rear main seals interchangeable between LA and Big Blocks?

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Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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I understand that the slant six models use the same rear main seal as a big block but what about the LA series?
I rebuilt the 440-493 and installed a rear main from my stash of parts. It fit so I stupidly assumed that it was correct. I just started it and have a leak. Fine droplets are flinging off the back of the engine and it looks like it is coming from the crank, not the side seals of the retainer.
I have several rear main seals in bags with no clear definition of what they are for.
Below, These are two matching sets. One came directly from a new gasket set for a 440.

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Here is another one with a different part number that looks similar.

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Finally, there is this one that looks like one spec'd for LA series engines according to images on Rock Auto and Summit Racing sites.

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None of the numbers on these bags matches anything online that I have checked.
The seal that I used was a MOPAR brand seal but again, I wonder if it was for a LA series and had some slight difference that I couldn't see.
Anyone have any insight on this?
 
With a little digging, I found out the following.....
The rear seal surface on the 440 is approximately 2.81 as shown on these Chinese digital calipers......

769-r-jpg.jpg


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A 318 crank I had was smaller.....

771-r-jpg.jpg


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Here was a weird discovery....the final one was a 360.

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Whuuut?

My situation could be the following:

* Correct 440 seal in right but not sealing well.
* Correct 440 seal in wrong, the half in block is in right, the half in the retainer is in backwards.
* Incorrect 318 seal too small, leaving a gap for oil to leak out.
* Incorrect 360 seal too big, distorted when the retainer was tightened down, leaving gaps for oil to leak out.
Oddly, the 360 crank main journal is stepped up in size at the oil seal area. Why???

I really need to keep my gaskets separate!
 
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Oddly, the 360 crank main journal is stepped up in size at the oil seal area. Why???
No idea but yes. Also the 360 oil pan is different than the 273/318/340 because of the same reason.
Next one I do will be getting a rope rear main. Chrysler was still using them well into the late 80's.
 
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