The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop "WICK" gasket

So I replaced the rope seal rear main seal and it leaks. And I thought well...you know the rest. Saw lots of posts about the rear main and leaking. So just to make sure I copied the casting number from the block....I was mistaken. My 235 is a 55-57. Casting number is 3837004. So go figure I got that wrong. I have thought this was a 1960 235. Posted it as such I am sure. Victor Rienz rope seal. You can not cut this thing. You can not! Pulled the old seal out with a bit of copper wire and needle nose pliers. Loosened all of the main bearing caps and removed the rear to get to every thing. Used the copper wire to ease and pull the rope seal in to place . Not hard at all. Little booger went right in there Tried to trim it and nothing would cut it. No razor no knife. I could rock it back and forth and trimmed it with some sharp side cutters. Got a pretty flat end and went to trim the other side. that "rope" seal was so soft it would push up in to place. with no trimming needed. In the bearing cap it would fit into place with no problem and just kind of lay there. I could push the excess into the groove and leave the ends flush or I could pull it a bit and leave them proud. Did not make any difference to the shape or pressure on the crank shaft at all. So it leaks Duh! Not the best seal material for sure. Looking at all of this and contemplating the situation I noticed that the seal is only in contact with the crank shaft for about 1/2 of its width. There are the threaded holes from the flywheel bolts on that contact surface as well. In addition there is a thin ridged neoprene seal at the very back of the block and bearing cap. It is in two half's and would be a bit of a pain to replace with the fly wheel in place. So do I need a neoprene main seal or am I just working with the wrong seal. The book called the thin seal a "wick" and I don't see it in any of the gasket sets I have found. So now I have leaky motor and more questions than solutions. Help me please.
Steve.

There are two grooves. The front one is to catch oil and return it back to the pan through the drain hole in the cap. The rear groove is where the seat goes.
Wick/rope same same.
Some disagree but I like Neoprene seals on an engine that does not use shims.
If you decide to use a rope seal get a Best Gasket seal. They are easy to cut the ends.
I would sure like to know how Fel-Pro for example expects you to cut theirs.