Turns out my EngineTech engine rebuild gasket kit didn't come with the little L-shaped seals for the sides of the rear main seal cap. (They offer a different kit that has them, but it is listed for 1980's engines--I don't know what the other differences are). To get those seals I bought a Fel-pro rear main seal. It comes with a few things I don't recognize:
- a pair of straight blue plastic pieces, labeled on the kit as "seal"
- a pair of black plastic tubes, labeled as "retainer bolt spacer sleeve"

What are these things?

The blue pieces go alongside the seal cap...if you had a big block, which you don't. So donate them to a worthy cause, or toss them. You see, the two engines share the same rear seal kit in most cases.

I've forgotten what the black tubes are for but I have forgotten.

Black tubes go on the seal cap bolts under the bolt heads.

Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

For what? Centering?

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

More for sealing then centering.
Oil can get into the bolt holes and migrate up (down ? ) the bolt threads and out of the engine. ( a leak point)
I never use the tubes because they can be hard to get into the cap.
I use RTV on the bolt threads and under the bolt heads... to prevent oil from getting past the bolts.
DD

When I built the slant for the 83 D150, with WV's help I must have pulled the motor twice trying to figure out an oil leak at the rear of the motor / bell housing.
Finally figured out that oil was wicking out and around the threads that hold the rear main seal carrier in place,,, fixed it with RTV as Doc mentioned.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

That is good info! I did not know!

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

gonna dig up this older thread. curious question on rear main seals. I see Fel pro lists a different PN for 60-80, vs 81-87. All 81+ would obviously have a cast crank. But so would some of the 60-80 engines. (some time in 76 til 80, the end of the application listing, for one option in the parts book). BS40240 vs BS 40489. What would be the difference between them? to me, it would seem that both seals would fit any/all Slants, because of the overlap of cast/forged cranks for the BS40240. Right? Wrong?

Maybe the rear seal lost knurling for the later part #?

I dont't know for sure ... just a guess here.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

When I rebuilt the OE motor in the 68 Barracuda I used a rubber lip seal in place of the rope seal. I used the existing rear seal carrier and this is a steel crank.
At that time I looked at it closely and the lip contacted the crank just outside of the cross hatch.
This engine was used in the car when it was drag race only, so it does not have a bunch of miles on it, but there never has been even a hint of a rear seal oil leak. Completely dry back there.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

According to the picture on rock auto, the 40489, doesn't include the side seal that are used on the big blocks.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

When I looked it up it came up as 81-87 /6, I'll have to recheck the pn that I referenced, they both showed all pieces needed for a slant, in the pix. I was just surprised to see that they said that the slant took 2 different numbers over the years.

The seal is the same, slant six or big block. Just the side pieces are different. As far as I know all slants use the same seal.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

which is what I had thought..... and I just clicked on a link to a 40489 on my Yahoo home page (probably there because I was looking at one online yesterday), took me to a page of several sellers for it, and all but 1 pic on that page showed the side pieces that a /6 uses which a BB doesn't.
Another case of you look up the same PN in one brand and look it up in another company, and get different results. some agree that the same seal fits all slants.... weird.

Well I have 5 of the BS40489 seal coming. Made a mistake and should have ordered some pan gaskets, and a couple of 81 up Valve cover gaskets at the same time.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225