350 Rear Main Issues, Side Seals and Pins

I'm trying to start assembling my 350. I got the rear crank seal in like I want but I'm having issues with the side seals and the pins that are supposed to go beside them. They are very hard to put the pins in and they bend around. The ones I have a cheap feeling aluminum. What am I doing wrong?

 

I pulled it back apart. It is boogering up the rubber parts and we've lost one of the pins. I've only ever built 455s until now. Please tell me this is not that hard and there is an easier way!

 

One more picture of the boogered side seals.

 

Been too long since I've built one to be of help but don't remember that aspect being too difficult.

 

Maybe stronger finishing nails in same dia.? Maybe the point won't bugger everything up...
Maybe warm/soften the seals a bit?

 

OK, I think it only needs one instead of both.

 

Yep, one nail per side.

 

GN guys just load them up with RTV. When I redid my rear main I used the pins and didn’t have a leak.

 

I think I used a thin film of rtv on those side seals and a dab on bottom & top. Filling the void with rtv would probably work, but looks like a mess. I hate that crap.

 

Good deal. I'll take it apart for the 5th time and use some RTV and ONLY ONE pin to get a good seal.

 

^^^This...

RTV only on several V6 motors. No leaks. Works good. If I remember right, you can shine a light between the cap and block wall as you inject RTV, just keep injecting until no light shines through. You just need to do it slow. I used The Right Stuff.

 

To close the loop, I pulled it out again, filled the groove with black permatex, pushed the black rubber wedges in, applied more RTV to the back side. Then, slid the cap down, holding the rubber wedges in place. When the whole thing was fully seated, I drove in one sharpened tip pin and cut the high part of the rubber wedge off. I'm hoping that solves that problem.

 

Hopefully that'll work for you. More than one way to do it.

Just to be clear on how I did it, was I injected the RTV down the side grooves after the cap was installed as shown in the video.

 

Ditch the rubber seals and pins.
Clean the groove and block with brake Kleen and fill the groove with RTV till it’s SLIGHTLY above the groove surface, then install cap.
I’ve done this numerous times on my 350 and V6, works GREAT!!

 

The rubber was left in place because it fills the cavity and I put RTV on both sides so that should seal it. It takes a lot of RTV without the rubber to provide filler.

 

I suspect rear main oil seepage might be from the parting ends of the 2 pc neoprene seal even though you stagger the ends 1/4"& dab rtv on.
I think TA makes a 1 pc that leaves you with one parting edge...

 

did the exact same on my GN. You should be good to go

 

Greg, what seal # did you end up buying / using?
Single or double lip?

 

I'm using the Fel-pro BS40032, single lip I assume.

 

That's the one most use, single lip.
This Fel-Pro seems to be a double lip. May have to try one out....
Did your shop grind or polish the knurling down smooth?

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