Most people have forgotten (or maybe didn't know in the first place) that rope seals need to be thoroughly soaked in oil before installation. The oil helps the fibers swell up and make a smooth, tight seal against the crankshaft. I soak rope seals overnight in clean 10W-30 motor oil before installing them.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!