Rope seals can be pulled into place with zero damage, if it's done right. Soak the seal in oil, and roll it out until it's thinner and longer than original, then pack it into place with a mallet and punch after it's pulled over the crankshaft. It's very flexible, and a careful pull into the upper groove does no harm. The seal is intentionally made about an inch over-length, so it can be packed into the groove and trimmed to length after it's installed. Any slight damage done to the end of the seal by a pulling wire or the Chinese handcuff tool gets cut off before the rear main cap is installed.
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!