The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Rear main

I have a 1956 235 and as ususal the rear main leaks. A couple of years ago I saw an article in a magazine about a machine shop milling the rear main area to fit a 1 piece rear main seal. Did anybody else see the article or know anything about it? If so, I would like to try it on mine if anybody can help me locate the info.

Thanks

Brad

If there's enough of a demand for the single-piece seal modification, I can build an adapter for my Van Norman cylinder boring bar and provide that service. Counting the cost of the seal, and setup and machining time, it would be about a $150.00 procedure, plus shipping to middle Tennessee. I would need the bare block, with the rear main cap installed, to do the job.
Jerry

WOW that was quick. I appreciate the input and when I get it torn down to see if its a shimmed model or not I know where to look now. Dave lots of good info in that article and Hotrod, Tennesee is only a days drive for me.....I'm 12 hours from Nashville

I've seen that article before, and it would be a pretty simple setup job to get a piece of 3/4" steel plate surface-ground on both sides so it could bolt to the back of the block with the bellhousing bolt holes and support a cylinder boring bar. The cat's paws on the boring bar will center the cutter in the rear main bearing bore, and the boring cutter can be set to a series of diameters that will end up a few thousandths below the outside diameter of the one-piece seal. It would probably require somewhere from 6 to 8 passes with a square-ground tool to make the seal counterbore. Then the seal can be driven into place after the crankshaft is installed.
Jerry