Technical Crankshaft problems-Chevy 261

Thanks for sending me the picture. 2 questions; where did you get this seal from? is that another rope seal or is it a rubber seal? Appreciate the help.

 

Yessir, we did. I found a short video on installation and my buddy and I followed it as best we could with what we had. I'm stating to think it wasn't packed tight enough.

 

I gotcha. I'm beginning to think this is going to be the problem.

 

You won't be happy with the Few-Pro rope seal, they will not hold up. Best Gasket uses material like the old seals used and will work right, the newly made seals are pretty much just rope with few additives.

 

Installing seal dry or pre-soaked. Haven't seen a mention.

 

I hear ya. After talking with my dad I'm thinking I might just go with the newer style rubber seal from Best Gasket.

 

Honestly it was installed dry. This is my first time doing this and I hadn't heard anything about pre-soaking the rope.

 

Have you tried laying in crank without seal to see if a different result has surfaced?

 

Yes, it made a world of difference! After pulling the rope seal I reinstalled the crank, torqued everything down, and it spins freely. At first the #2 and #3 main caps were a little too tight, but a set of shims took care of that. As of right now it's in the block, torqued to spec, and I can easily turn it one-handed. Just waiting on the new rubber seal to come in the mail.

 

When the rope seals are in right, it take some effort to get the crank turning, but once moving it's not that hard to keep it going. The rubber seal will have much less drag.