The absolutely foolproof way to deal with a rope seal is to cut a new seal into pieces no longer than 1/2", throw it into the nearest trash can, and machine the back of the block for a full circle lip seal. Yes, it's an expensive procedure, one that requires the block to be stripped down to bare bones. "Buy once- - - -cry once"!
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!