Been working on my 65 400 motor. Motor is out and on a stand. I'm at a point where I want to replace the rear main seals. I have read the service manual and it says to pack the rope seal further into the groove with a special tool. Does anyone know where I can get this tool? I was gonna try to get the old seal out with a sneaky Pete. Do the main bearing caps have to be loosened to get the new seals to be installed? I have both rubber and rope seals and don't know which one to go with. I've read Other posts on this but still a little confused.

 

Get the Ford rubber seal and don't worry about the rope seal tool.

 

I have the ford seal as well but does the crank have to be out to replace with the rubber seal?

 

The crank has to be loose enough to lift out about a quarter inch, which means that all of the bearing caps have to be loosened, but they don't HAVE to be removed.

Of course, in order to look at and measure the bearings, you've got to have the crank out anyway...

- Eric

 

Use the rubber seal.

"might as well" at least pull the main caps and look at the bearings. Last time I failed to inspect ALL the bearings on an unknown engine- my 403- I found when I started it after putting EVERYTHING in place on the motor that the #1-2 rod bearings were toast and it knocked and I got to do it all over again. Down to bare block.

 

Will the 400 let you pull the crank from the con rods then take the pistons out the bottom or do the heads have to come off and the piston/rod assemblies go out the top first before removing the crank? Or do you leave it assembled and just lift it enough to see the block side of the main bearing?

I know they were built crank first, then in from the top.

 

If you rotate the crank to the right position, you can lift out the crank, but it's tight.

Getting it back in is more "fun."

The pistons will only come out from the top, because of the casting webs.

- Eric

 

The heads are off, the rear main bearing looks ok. I guess at this point I can look at the rest of the bearings.

 

Good to know. Not to hijack his thread, but that will be a major MAW cliff that I will need to decide to do here in the next couple years.