Stovebolt.com Forums The Side Lot The Great Lakes Bolters Engine work in Michigan

My 49 3600 (216) needs a new rear seal can anyone recommend a good rebuilder/shop that can handle this without me pulling the engine ? Southeast Michigan is preferable. Thanks !!

Jim Hughes in Belleville,mi.is a good shop to use
He worked on my 54 and did good work

Thanks Keith ! I will definitely check him out 👍🏻

TKM That rear main seal is a tough job to change...the real problem is you dont have a source for a quality seal. The originals were asbestos braid that is not available today. Do you have PCV or road draft tube positive crankcase ventilation might solve it. If you change be sure its vented or vacuum can suck the gaskets out of it. Also there is a tool kit to help that seal get in there ! Hope i'm telling you right its been 50 yrs. ! If not right someone will chime in .

Depending on the year of your engine, these rear main seals are probably the best that are readily available.
https://bestgasket.com/rear-main-seals/

They both have worked for my trucks.

Thanks so much guys, based on your comments and my research, I think I’ll just put up with the drips for now. Engine starts and runs well — sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.

TKM In the olden days some mechanics would take down the rear cap and drive a pin punch about up in the seal on both sides then pack a piece of seal in both sides then put in new bottom half,started to say about a 3/16 punch this was to help tighten it up. This was when you could get asbestos seal . Crude way to do !!

I've tightened an upper rope seal by driving a piece of the stainless steel strip that retains the rubber in a windshield wiper blade between the upper seal and the engine block, and putting a new piece of rope seal in the main cap. It beat fighting with installing the upper seal section while trying to make a living working for 50% of flat rate time in a production shop.
Jerry