I wanted to post an update: thanks to you guys my dad and I were able to get the top rope seal installed with the engine and crank in place!! The chinese finger tool made the difference, and we luckily had enough rope material to get the tool off the seal once we pulled it around.
So I'm pumped about this, but we've got a few more things to deal with before we button her back up and drive her around again.
My advice to others attempting this in the future (at least on a 235 like the one in my '54):
1) The chinese finger tool (KD #492) is far superior than the other junky tool with the alligator clip. The chinese finger tool is more expensive, but you get what you pay for.
2) Yes, you can do this without removing the transmission
3) You really need two people for this job, one to keep tension on the puller tool (I'd estimate 5-10lbs of force) and the other person to use a small screwdriver or equivalent to help the seal conform to the shape in the block as the seal is pulled (we didn't roll our seal out excessively).
4) Lubricate the seal (we used lithium grease) to help it around. We didn't soak ours in oil like others had suggested -- I know others have done this, but I didn't think it was appropriate.
5) The seal from Best Gasket (got mine from Jim Carter) is far superior to the Fel Pro seal, at least in terms of feel and appearance. I bought both. Without having tested both, I can't say from experience which one is better, but based on appearance alone I'm guessing the Best Gasket will be the best.
Now I'm anxious to see how well this works. I'm not expecting miracles, just something better than the sieve-like seal that was there before.
