Best option for a rear main seal kit for a 72 455? The rope came in the Fel Pro kit, not a a fan of the rope seal.
Did I read somewhat the the were 2 different crankshaft rear diameters, 3 and 3.5? Who offers a good kit? JW?
Stock cranks are 3.25. Only tomahawk aftermarket block has 2 options. Bop enterprises has a good seal or Ta performance has them also.
TA,Performance website not easy to follow on some things. No picture on the rear main seal, is it just the 2 halfs with or with out the insert slides. BOP Enterprise?? Maybe better off going to Car Quest, can not get any good information.
The BOP info is just 20 seconds of google search away. See the latest one piece seal here: https://www.bopengineering.com/buick_v8.shtml Devon
More info on the BOP one piece seal: https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/crankshaft-seal-430.378856/#post-3316761 Devon
I looked at the BOP website and they had a big PDF file for the install. I remember buying a simple 2 piece like the Chevrolet small block and was simple to install and worked great.
Then maybe just stick with the BOP two piece and follow JW's instructions in the thread Larry linked above. Devon
The Ford and Cadillac seal are mentioned here, never tried them though. https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/400-rear-main-seal.130641/ Devon
I had done many Caddy seals (from KB then just over the counter locally) in the past with pretty good success. In the early 90's though I started using the Ford seal from T/A and over the counter locally, again with good success. Sometime around 2005 I had a seal literally burn up on the dyno and start leaking. I took it off the dyno, replaced the seal thinking it was a fluke, ran it again to make sure and it was OK. But the engine came back with the same problem. This time I measured the seal area OD with the cap installed and compared it to other blocks and it was within a few thousands. I put another Ford seal in and it did not have the bulge like Jim explained (Ford seals barely meet the parting line). I made a gauge to check the actual interference fit and that turned out to be about .050. I took a SBC, BBC and a late model 302 Ford with a one piece seal and made gauges and checked the interference on them and all were between .020 and .030 interference. I called Rob Ross who works at Ford and he asked the engineers there what they wanted for interference and they said .005 was the minimum but that .020 would be ideal. I also had another engine come back with a burned up seal. I have attached a picture of the gauge I made and went back to the Caddy seal. T/A now has a seal that is a drop in.
