That's what I've heard. I've heard it's not the worst job, once you get the hang of the "lost art". Anyway...here's another question....I've read in many places that say to use sealant on 1, The bearing cap, but not the seal ends. 2. The seal ends but not the bearing cap. 3. Both the seal ends and the bearing cap.
One source said not to use any sealant at all, because it increases the bearing clearance. However, the instructions that came with the rope seals correspond with #1 above, saying to use an anaerobic sealant. What do you guys do?
And here's something else...some sources say trim the seal flush with the cap, and others say to leave it a bit proud on top, stating that it will get pushed down when you torque the cap down and help seal better. I really don't know which is right, so what so you guys recommend? What are "tried and true" methods?
Also...this may sink the ship, but when I pulled the cap for the first time, I noticed the right end of the original (I'm guessing it's original) seal was sticking up past the bearing cap surface about 1/8", and the left side was flush with the top of the cap. I thought that was strange, until I noticed the right side of the seal in the block was recessed about 1/8". In theory I guess the seal in the cap should stick up enough that it fills in the slight void in the seal groove in the block, but I'm not sure how that would've worked, getting it fitted in there perfectly. This does concern me, and I have a small voice lingering in the back of my mind telling me that may cause trouble. Maybe since I've got the timing cover off, I just need to get a "Sneaky Pete" and a rope seal kit from Best Gasket (The Graphtite seals) and replace both top and bottom? I hate taking more time since I'm on a deadline, but in the long run, I'd rather have a leak-free engine than an engine that I will just have to come back to and fix again later.
Edit: If getting the seal rolled in and firmly pressed into the bearing cap takes as much work as it does, how do you get the top seal pressed in at all using the "Sneaky Pete" tool? I'm fearful if I try this, I won't be able to get it pressed in the groove very well, and it will either bind or leak. Yes, I know the right thing is to have the crank out to do this, but that's not an option right now. I really need to get this truck running. There is a tech tip on this website that doesn't explain anything special...it just says pull the new one into place and cut the ends off. Is it really just that simple? No rolling, pinching, and pressing like with the bottom seal? Thanks!
