I'm in the process of rebuilding my 59 292 ford-Y, and as I'm putting this together, I've gotten to the part where I need to torq down the Main Caps. What I've figured out is that when I torq them all down, the crank wont turn. So after messing around with different options(thinking I have the wrong bearings), I figured out that the rear main seal is causing the problem. If I take the seal out and and torq all the caps back down, the crank turns freely. Do you have any Idea as to what the problem is here? It's driving me crazy. Thanks

 

If you used the rope type of seal and soaked it in oil for a day or so like you should have, it will be a bit tight to turn. You can convert them to a newer type of feather edge seal that will not have as much drag on it and it seals much better. It involves some machining on the seal surface on the crankshaft, I am not sure of the details as it has been a long time since I have overhauled a "Y" block engine.

 

Well, that may explain the problem, I've not soaked anything. I just took it out of the box and put it in. I will take it out and soak in oil for a day or so and see if that help. thanks for the help.

DGMFORD

 

Every rope seal I've done has been waaaaay too long, and needed to be trimmed to fit. It also needs to be compressed. I get the biggest socket I can find, and use it to mash the seal into the groove in the block. Hard. After soaking it in oil. Very hard. Trim to flush with the bottom of the block/cap surface. Remove CAREFULLY. Repeat for the other half. Set the block seal in place, and rotate it a fraction of an inch so that the surfaces will be a smidge offset from the meeting surfaces of the cap & block. There are a couple wedgies that go down alongside the cap in my memory.. somebody will tell me different, but that's ok. I would put them in the side slots, protruding down past the meeting surface a smidge, for a preload against the bottom of the block, and then put the cap in place. Measure how much they protrude past the pan surface, and do the math. Are they pushed up against the block by math? Can you turn the crankshaft? If you can, all's well... If not, make sure that you didn't push some rope ends around to keep the cap from seating on the block. That is disastrous.. I used to trim the end of the rope so that the protruding end would be a little long, but squished so that it would fit into the recess in the opposing part. It sure is a pain to do rear main seals while lying on your back in the driveway. I know.
Now you know why there were so many people putting engines together way back when.. and why they cost so much.. and lasted so short. It is almost an art.
tom