I’ve heard before that it makes it easier to loosen up the main caps to pry crank up slightly to make it easier to replace seal. Is it possible to pry it up slightly with the timing chain? I’m not quite sure that it can pry up in the rear only. I think it has to go pretty straight up to lift up from the main webs. And is that really necessary, or is it not really easier doing that? Engine is still on stand before installation in car. Thanks.

You loosen all 5 main caps and pry them down and then pry down towards the floor on the crankshaft to move the crank away from the seal, don't worry about the timing chain or timing belt. Your only going to be able to move the back of the crank down a little bit with the motor and tranny in the car
Removing and reinstalling the upper seal, especially the rope seals, is the hard part

Thanks Cab. I am doing this with motor on stand , pan sise up. So i guess i will be prying crank up and trying to hold it up in place with something between crank flange to eng stand. Also using viton seal with blue side seals from mancini.

Rope seals come out easy with a wood screw put in them for a handle.

You shouldn’t need to prop the crank up. The friction from the rings will hold it in place while you do this. Very simple job on a stand, not bad in the car really.

This is a newly built stroker rb engine with a new felpro black main seal that leaked a little on the dyno. No rope seal here. Don’t know why it leaked. I was very careful on assembly and did all the checks before assy. Even checking the original retainer to block alignment. All looked good. Who knows.

Try filling the seal holder sides up where the side seals go against the block on the flywheel / flex plate sides with a good brand of adhesive silicone after installing the holder I use a thin putty knife to do this, both sides and both sides of the bottom edge of the seal holder that tighten against the rear main bearing boss and seal holder
Let it dry at least 24 hours after sealing it up

I rolled new main bearings in my small block a few months ago. I was able to pry the crank up enough to slide the seal out no problem. It was a much easier process than I imagined. It was upside down on a stand like you are doing.

Yes, i did exactly this. And, it still leaked. It looks like it leaked from the seal area more in the center. And when it leaked it was very black colored oil. I checked the oil at that point, and it was still clear, like new. When i assembled it, i instalked the sael with gibbs driven dreakin oil on tge seal surface. Then it was about 2-1/2 to 3 weeks until dyno. It looked like the seal burned up. But, i used the same exact procedure on my rb stroker 2 yrs ago and it is bone dry. Not sure though about the timing between final install to dyno day on that one. But same lubrication on seal and same seal and retainer and method. Gibbs break in oil also as lubricant.

Some of the import cranks have some pretty aggressive grooves on the seal surface that can be pretty rough on seal life.

Dwayne, do you mean the knurling? The 440Source cranks are polished smooth. There is no knurling on those. Thx