My block has studs for the oil pan, so my pans tightened right up against the block. Thanks for the heads up though.

Does your motor have main studs also?
If so look at the rear of the oil pan and the oil pan gasket under the rear main seal and see if the #5 main studs are touching them
If so you may have found your oil leak before removing the rear main seal holder again

My son just built a 383, we combined the rope seal kit with the blue side seal kit and so far, really good.

does your crank have the knurling in the seal area to accommodate the rope seal?

Yes, the motor does have main studs. Do you mean check to see if the studs are hitting the oil pan itself or the rear main seal retainer?

The crank doesn't have any knurling.

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1856815/1.html


Install seal 6 and 12, fill sides with rtv not using the gaskets

Check the oil pan for contact

I've got the motor torn back apart again. There are no contact marks on the oil pan. There are very slight signs of contact from the nuts on the main cap touching the windage tray. The replacement oil pan gaskets that I installed are slightly thicker, so there isn't anymore interference. The problem that I'm having now is trying to get the upper half of the rear main seal out from the block. I think it's from the rtv on the back of it holding it in. Are there any tips on getting this out without it breaking or ruining anything with the block or crank. I'm afraid of it tearing and still being stuck in there and then I'll be screwed.

You will need to push the top of the seal out with self made tool (heat and bend a thin cheap screwdriver, cut or grind the head off it and polish it up) or similar
while turning the crankshaft at the same time in the same direction you're pushing it.

One you get the top part of the seal out, how will you clean all that nasty rtv out of the seal groove, though?

For many years I've read the advice here to use rtv and other products on the back side of the dynamic seal (dynamic meaning the part the crankshaft rotates against),
I feel it is not needed and disagree.

RTV as a substitute for the side seals is okay. The old white asbestos side seals have always worked fine for me but I usually injected rtv after they
were installed. And since they stopped making them, it's been straight rtv after that.

they sell a seal puller kit that may work for you. Its cheap enough.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...I5MXY4wIVD77ACh0H5gZwEAQYBSABEgKxnPD_BwE

All the seal pullers I have seen are for rope seals. Has a screw type deal on the end.
The lip seal has a metal core I think so I don’t think you can screw in to it.

I might be wrong on this.

I always get raked over the coals for suggesting to loosen the rear main to get the upper seal out but if you do this the seal comes right out with no turning of the crank.

With an auto trans - remove the converter bolts and push the converter back to disengage it from the crank.

Then loosen up the main caps - more at the rear and less at the front of the engine.

That may make things easier for you.

What I would do then is remove each cap one at a time and make sure the bearing shell tang is in place then install that cap and tighten.
Since you are turning the crank you don’t want to take a change that a shell rotated out of alignment.

The car is a 4 speed. I'm going to try a windshield seal install tool first before loosening anything first. The problem is the rtv that's holding it in. When I took the original seal out, I was able to pull it out easily without loosening anything or even turning the crank. This is what worries me that something is machined wrong and the motor will always leak.

[s][/s]

Well, I got everything back together on the motor and I ended up installing the seal at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. I started the car up and let it idle for probably about 15 minutes without a drop of oil coming out. However, as soon as I sat in the car and gave it some gas, it started leaking like a sieve again. Let off of the gas, and it will continue to idle without leaking. I just don't get it. I at least have it where it will idle at operating temperatures without leaking, but still has a terrible leak under even slight throttle. It's looking like another summer with no driving time at all at this point.

Which way is the upper sealing edge of the seal pointing, towards the front or rear of the engine?

Towards the front.

Are there any ideas as to what would cause the leak only to happen while the motor is being reved? If the seal was damaged and or installed incorrectly, shouldn't it leak at all times? Is it possible that it's a crankcase pressure issue that is building up pressure during higher rpm's?

It sounds like to me that it isn't the main seal leaking, it might be the oil pan gasket or maybe even the side seals on the main seal holder leaking when the revs go up
If it is the side seals or a pan gasket it won't leak oil onto the engine side of the flywheel, it will leak down around and over the edge of the oil pan instead
Take your time with car up on jack stands and have someone run the throttle while you look at the oil leak to see if you can make sure EXACTLY where it Is leaking from Good luck