Al-P8

Bring this dreaded Rear Main Rope Seal thread back to life. I didn't want to start a new thread when this one has a bunch of info already. Once again I am confused and looking for some thought from this experienced group. I have the engine from my 1939 P8 on the bench. Engine number is P8C 8759. It was leaking oil badly from the timing chain cover and the rear seal. While on the bench I could see it has a rope seal. Ordered a new one. I opened it tonight to start the repair and noticed there were no side seals for the rear main cap. Hummmm. I removed the rear cap and sure enough, there are channels there for the side seals. Looking at the Best Gasket site, (I have Seal 4162) it only shows side seals for the rubber style gasket (Seal 4164). Interesting.... I then pulled the metal seal retainers off and there was no gasket between the retainer and the block or the rear main cap??? (lots of oil between the block and seal retainer on the bottom one though) Also the last person in there just filled the channels in the cap with some form of sealant. You can tell it was leaking around the side seals of the cap and some from the lower rope retainer / rope. Anyway, is it safe to assume the engine, due to it's vintage, should have a rope seal? if so, where do I find a seal set that includes the side seals? I've looked and can't seem to find any. Does this mean I should use the rubber style of seals? When I reassemble it, should I use the gaskets for the metal rope retainers? Just wondering if installing them might make the rope a bit looser and possibly spin? I have also just ordered a reprint shop manual for the car. My current two manuals say literally nothing about the rear main seal other than (essentially) carful changing it. LOL

Thanks Plymouth Adams. Maybe I will just order a stainless tube and give that a try. Hopefully it will fit better. Cheers, Al

Thanks Sniper. I had to pull it. It had a hole in the side of it. It was definitely not a brass tube. I used a magnet to fish out some parts of it. It must have been changed at some point in it's life. I don't have any real history on the car unfortunately other than it had been parked for a few years. Has been semi restored at some point in it's life. Any thoughts on the gaps in the block around the tube? Normal or trouble?

I know this thread is a few years old but i didn't want to start a new one as my experience with the dreaded WDT are similar. I started working on mine in my 1939 P8C engine this week. Yes, took pretty well all week. Came out in little pieces. Steel tube. I had no idea I could curse that much! Anyway, I have a replacement steel tube and like Keithb7, I needed to cut the welds, narrow the tube and spent several hours manipulating it with a body hammer to get it to slide back in there. Yes, I cleaned the block as thoroughly as I could. So now that I have it back in there, I have a couple question and hoping you all could share your wisdom with a newbie before I button the engine back up and slide it back into the car. I have looked several times but I have not been able to find a good picture of a new tube installed before the water pump goes back on. I just want to be sure the gaps I have around mine are reasonable / typical. I will attach a pic below. The gasket lines up pretty well with the tube but just want to be sure so I don't damage the engine with an improper install. I was also wondering if the stainless steel tubes would fit better? I understand their longevity and will likely change this one out with a stainless version in a few years if I need to do a rebuild. I just want to get the car in decent enough shape so I can drive it this summer for some fun and not damage anything. Will give me a chance to assess everything and get a game plan together for priority repairs etc. I pulled the motor because the rear main was leaking pretty bad, the front lower timing chain seal was leaking real bad, the clutch was warped and the starter was fried. Thought I would freshen it up and have some fun. I have only driven one for about 3 minutes when I got this one started by towing it when I brought it home on a trailer this winter. I'm hooked! LOL As I have said before, I would be lost without this forum and the many folks who share their knowledge. It is so appreciated. Not like one can walk down to the local garage and ask for advise. lol Cheers, Al

Oh for goodness sake! Thanks a bunch DJK! I am going out to the garage to re-read my manual as I completely missed the #6 TDC when marks aligned. I feel like a dummy but I am so happy I can also start moving forward again. Thanks again!

Thanks for the quick responses all. I was out of town yesterday and just back in the shop this morning. Rallyace, my distributor point at #6 (1 oclock) when marks are aligned and # 6 is in firing position according to the valve train. D32 Torpedo, thanks! And yes, I hope to solve this and set it up right. Dodgeb4ya, that,s exactly what I thought. When the marks are apart 180 degrees #6 should be in firing position. I have turned it over many many time now looking at this and the valve train says #1 is ready to fire when marks out 180 degrees and # 6 is just about to open the intake valve. This really makes my head hurt... Is it possible that the Canadian engine has different gear markings compared to it's US cousins? I have looked at several pictures here on the forum and the Cam Key / Bolts and Timing Mark are exactly the same. The gear looks original to me, Number D0 6793 Number on end of cam is 601758. I have attached a couple pictures. the valves on #1 are closed and is finished the compression stroke ready to fire. Sorry if I am being a pain or overlooking something obvious. I have been looking and pondering this issue for about a week before I posted. ?.

Hi Folks! New to the forum although I have searched and read countless Threads here! Thanks a bunch for sharing so much knowledge and experience. Has helped me soo many times. The question I have relates to timing gear marks and their position. I have the original motor out of my 1939 P8 Deluxe on the bench up here in Canada. Has some leaking seals etc so pulled the timing chain cover off. Needs a new chain so purchased new gears and chain for it. Upon close inspection, my engine has the dots on the gears out 180 degrees. Yes, I have confirmed it is in firing position for #1 cylinder by checking the lifters as I turn the engine over by hand and the distributor is pointing to #1 wire. The engine ran fine before I removed it. I am just wondering if this is a common issue as I am under the impression from my manual that they should line up across from each other near the crank? Any assistance would sure be appreciated! Al