Thanks Owen and Cli55er for getting back to me. I read somewhere the name of the tool to remove the upper seal is called a "Sneaky Pete". I will see if I can find one before proceeding. I do have the rope seal. It was included in the gasket set I bought from Kanters. It comes with directions on trimming the seal, engine out. It looks like it will be a tricky job with the engine in. Thanks again. Brian

Hello Everybody,
I have a leaking rear main seal on my '55 400. I want to stop the bleeding and the embarrassing wet spots in friends driveways. I read a thread about replacing the seal on an in-line 8 and did not get a "warm fuzzy" for a DIY project from that thread. I read the bulletin from Apr '55 about filing a notch in the bearing cap to stop leaks at the rear main seal. When I pull the oil pan I will look for that modification but since the leak has gotten progressively worse I don't think this is the problem. I don't have the facilities at home to pull the tranny to replace this seal. According to the Parts Cross Reference for rear main seal replacement it can be replaced in car without dropping the tranny.
If there is anyone who has replaced the rear main seal in their engine by only dropping the oil pan I would be very appreciative of any advice and techniques that will help me with this project.
Also, any recommendations on seal replacement as far as sticking with the rope seal or modernizing to the neoprene one?
Thank you for any help given.
Brian

Jim,
Glad to be of assistance. I have gotten so much from this web sight, it feels good to give back. I did not opt for the delay. My motor is a two speed. As UN-aerodynamic as these cars are, wind takes care of most of the rain when it's not to heavy.
You're right, I live on the Oregon coast and we really enjoy our "sun breaks", as the weathermen call them, when they do pass through.
My car will be in the Forrest Grove Concours d'Elegance July 15th. Stop by and say hello if your in the area.
Brian

Jim,
I did the electric wiper motor conversion on my '55 400 and am very happy with the results. I too live in OR and needed my wipers to work. I bought it from Newportwipers.com and it bolted right in. The only modification I did was to grind down the bezel ring that controls wiper arc. I did this to keep the knob as original looking as possible. Brian

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I had 2 reasons for installing the air cooler, one was for additional cooling (keep it cool, keep it happy), the other was to keep the antifreeze out of the transmission. Since Owen stated the internal cooler was stainless steel it would seem that keeping antifreeze out of the transmission is something I don't need to worry about. I am going to keep the OEM cooler on the car and run my air cooler in series with it. I will have the collars repaired. Thanks everyone for the help. I look forward to the day when I can return a favor. Brian

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Hello Everybody,
I am looking for a part number for a molded lower radiator hose that will replace the OEM trans cooler assembly. The other day my radiator started leaking. When I pulled the radiator to have it re-cored, I noticed the OEM transcooler was severely rusted where the radiator hoses connect to it. I spent about an hour in Auto Zone behind the counter looking through their hose gallery and could not find a hose that would work. I installed an external trans oil cooler about 5 months ago and it is working great. Now it's time to replace the OEM assembly completely. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Brian

Thank you. I have some high temp wheel bearing grease I will use. Happy Holidays. Brian

I am in the process of changing the dust cover (boot) on my ball and trunnion joint on my '55 400. The old one was split and since I do a lot of driving on the Oregon coast and in the southern California desert area I'm worried about sand getting into the joint. From what I've read here, these joints are no longer available so I need to protect the one I've got. The boot is in the mail so I want to get the pin pressed out and clean the old grease out which brings me to my question. What grease should I pack into the Ball and trunnion Joint? The service bulletins say to use a "high fiber grease". I get funny looks when I use that term at the local auto parts store. Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Brian

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I'm chiming in a little late here but...
The new fuel blends definitely have an effect on older parts. See how it shrunk the cup seal on my accelerator pump plunger? I rebuilt my carb and it ran great for about 3 days then wouldn't start. A quick inspection revealed the accelerator pump wasn't pumping. These blended fuels will do that to your old parts. If its not to late, you might want to rebuild your carb yourself. If it was working fine, except for the leaks the new gaskets is what it most likely needs. The 4GC carbs are very simple. Take it apart, match the old gaskets to the new ones and re-assemble. Fortunately, where I live, there are 2 gas stations that sell non-blended gas. It cost more but the car runs so much better and I think the extra mpg's pay for it.
Brian

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Hello Everybody,
My thermal valve started leaking the other day so I by-passed it to keep me on the road. Now it's time to fix it. I have dissasembled it and the rubber diaphram is shot. The rest of it works fine. Does anybody know where I might get a new diaphram? I hate to replace the whole thing. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Brian

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