Thanks for the reply. Do you have a suggestion for a sealer on #1? I did put sealant on both the rear main cap bolts and all the bolts that hold the flywheel to the crank. Won't the sealant between the rear cap and block surface create extra bearing clearance?
I have not tried the rope style seal yet, which brings up another question. In the instructions of the rope seal, it says to apply a small amount of RTV sealant to the back side of the rope seal. Shouldn't I be doing the same with the rubber style as well?