The original rope seals had a lot of asbestos in them. Conventional wisdom says that if you get within half a mile of anything with asbestos in it, all your children will be born naked, so the seals available today use some sort of vegetable fiber. They're worse than useless, with an extremely limited lifespan. Best Gasket makes the only seal worth the effort to install, and you must follow their instructions EXACTLY!
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!