[Goat noob]

Hey all,

I am going to start the process of removing my engine next week in order to replace my rear main seal. I did something wrong with the 1 piece seal install and am going to try to use a best gasket graphite rope seal on this goaround. I know I was generous with the rtv when installing my oil pan and I just wanted to ask what Is everyone's go to approach for removing rtv from the block surface. I was thinking gas and a razor blade but I wanted some input before going that route. I also plan to use the pan reinforcement brackets (that should have been used the first time...) I plan to put the engine on the stand and pull the crank so there are no obstacles in the way of cleaning and installing a new seal. Can I assume I will have to remove or push the pistons up into the bore to easily remove the crank? My rebuilt engine has about 30 miles on it and leaked 2 quarts of oil in that short time. If I were a real Mechanic I'd be out of business by now

 

[lust4speed]

Forget about the gas and just use the razor blade. If the block was going to be totally stripped and cleaned then you could use a wire wheel on your drill to remove more of the silicone, but the debris would be tough to totally clean out. If for some reason the RTV didn't fully set up and is gooey you can keep it from re-sticking with some WD40. If the pan initially sticks you can tap a putty knife between pan edge and the block and work around until the pan lifts free.

Yes, you can push the pistons up against the heads to get them and the rods almost out of the way. Removing the crank this way is easy but setting it back in place needs a few more hands to jockey the rods a bit so they all settle back on their respective journals. Make sure you keep the rod caps mated to their proper rod. Most new aftermarket rods have some sort of ID, but doesn't hurt to make sure they do before setting the caps aside. Unless the one-piece was put in backwards I'm surprised it was throwing that much oil. The trick with the Viton seal is to not allow any silicone into the groove because it will push the seal out of round (you do need the few drops of sealant in the anti-rotation holes but none should have spread to the circumference of the groove.

The Teflon rope seal was my favorite seal before BOP came along with the Viton, but it still is a good seal and can solve some problem installations. I learned the hard way that you can't pack the Teflon seal like the old rope seals. The packing creates too much pressure and the friction will melt the seal and spit little drops of molten Teflon out. The trick is to simply lay the seal in the groove and roll it into place with a large socket.

 

[Baaad65]

Maybe some rubber hoses on the rod bolts, you could grab them easier and then won't scratch the crank, that's how they taught us in auto service class when assembling a motor from the top.