Rear seal questions

[KustomSkylark]

So I stayed up till one o' clock on Saturday night working on my car. I put in a new oil pump and pickup and some other things non-eninge related things. Well I started it up to come to work today and as i'm driving I can see some smoke comming from underneith the car. I poked my head under and see that my rear seal must be leaking.

My car has maybe 1000 miles on it since the rebuild. I researched some of the posts on here regaurding changing the seal. I figured it must be leaking because I put it in with each half even with the matting surface of the cap and block. So here is my question, what is better the rope seal or the neoprine seal? My machineist swears by the rope but I've read other things on it being not as good. I want to change it with the engine still in the car but I don't see how that will be very easy with the seals meeting at different positions than half way. I also would rather not, drop the transmission. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Oh and the new pump and pick up fixed my presure problem.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Anyone? How about just what kind of seal to use, rope or neoprene?

 

[falconcritter]

whats up, i can give you some insight into this.... in my comet i have put in three rope seals in my car. and one neno. the first time the rope held up good for about 500 miles but started too leak. so i tried the neno, but did not drop the crank. that lasted 5 miles. :x so i went back too rope, and i change mine out every 1,200 miles. but this is from member wsa111 8) , post: fri jul 15, 2005 install the rear main seal with the ends at 10 o'clock & 4 o'clock on the other side, then put a small daub of FIPG sealer which you need to purchase at a toyota dealership in the parts dept. it should cost $18.00. put a small daub at the butting surfaces of the neoprene rear main oil seal. before you put the rear main bearing cap in place, put a very small bead of this sealer at the outer edge or lip where the rear main bearing cap contacts the block. also place a very small bead from the seal to outer edge where the main caps sits to the outer edge or where the cap contacts the block. do not forget to place sealer on the flywheel or flexplate bolts to the crank. he says using the procedure he has never had a rear main leak or even a seep.
i hope this helps you, if you print this like i did you will always have it handy. cometcritter soon too be Falcon on Fire

 

[KustomSkylark]

So, is there any easy way to get the seals at 10 and 4 with the engine in the car and crank in place?

 

[wallaka]

Luck? Guesstimation? Other than that I don't see it. 8 and 2 would work too .

 

[KustomSkylark]

my main concern is being able to get the seal fed up against the crank once I get the first seal in the groove around the crank....it just seems like quite a task with the engine still in the car. On another note I drove around the hood a bit tonight and didn't notice any leaking, so I may put it on the freeway and see what happens.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Should I put another rope seal in??