The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop KD Oil Seal installer, extras that I don’t recognize.

Okey dokey, spent many years around dealerships and auto parts stores and never had any confidence in rear main rope seal replacement done with the crank in place. I’ve never seen it done successfully so I’ve ignored any discussion about it for the last forty plus years. But, all that said, since I’m planning on pulling my ’50, 216 and having the short block rebuilt in the not to distant future I thought I’d give it another try and see if I can minimize a little more of the drip for the rest of the summer.
Read where on of the guys had ordered an “oil seal remover and installer” from S&J Discount Tools. I had a few seals laying around unused in broken gasket sets and figured for twenty bucks I wouldn’t be out all that much when it didn’t work and it’s leaking now any way.
Got the blister pack today, KD #482, says it’s got a, wick seal remover, installer, guide funnels, pusher, offset trimmer and neoprene seal punches. Well I can see where the 10inch long sheet metal screw with the ring on the end I suppose is the remover. And the Chinese finger is pretty self explanatory, and the blunt ‘A’ size screw driver I suppose is the pusher, and the razor blade scraper is I assume the offset trimmer.
But what the heck are the two funnels for? And how are the 4 3/4”x 1/2” strip of blue steel and two aluminum extrusions supposed to be used?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny-

It is funny you posted your message because I just got the same tool in the mail yesterday. The "funnels" don't seem to be of much use for our rear seal because the shape of the seal groove is more of a rectangle, whereas the two funnels are cicular in shape.

I'm not sure, but I took the two aluminum extensions to be the neoprene seal "punches". I guess you could use those (esp. the small slightly curved one) to help push out the old seal. They don't seem of much use to me, though.

As for the steel strip, the only thought I had was a cutting guard, so you could protect the crank journal when you cut the seal in place. The Best Gasket brand seal I have came with half a toungue depressor for that purpose, so this is the only use that makes sense to me.

I'd be interested to see what kinds of applications would actually use the funnels.

Yes, the steel piece is a crankshaft protector to keep the razor blade from scoring the crank as you trim the seal off flush with the block. The curved aluminum piece is a follower for the later-model rubber type seal that allows the tech to drive it around the crank enough to get a grip on the other end with pliers and pull it out. It has no purpose when replacing a rope seal. Start the rubber seal moving with the straight aluminum piece and a rawhide or plastic mallet, then follow along with the curved one that will track around the crank, if necessary. The funnels just prevent damage to the rope seal as it's pulled into position, and it's a pretty common practice to oil-soak the seal and roll it out on a clean, smooth surface like a piece of plate glass until it's round and slightly smaller diameter than the groove in the block. It pulls into place much easier that way. Once it's all the way around, then use the screwdriver-looking tool to pack it into the groove tightly. Trim the excess seal material off flush with the block, install the lower rope into the main cap, and reassemble everything. Easy!
Jerry

As a long suffering member of the 216 oil drip club the thought occurs to me that the two funnels may be to route the drips into a small bucket that is wired to the bottom of the oil pan.

Come on guys laugh ya know its funny!

Thanks guys especially you Blue, that makes complete sense, I've just been catching it in a diaper and wringing it out.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

My attempts to use the Chinese finger a couple of years ago were futile. I would have had to put such a length in to get it to grab that the part of it would be left in the block. This is because they are not generous with the seal length. If you use something like fishing line to tie onto the seal, the seal does not want to conform to the slot and it tends to spread under pressure. If you use a funnel, it will ease the seal into the slot. Otherwise you have to use a flat bladed screwdriver or similar device to coax it in.