How To Rebuild Your Ford V-8 351C-351M-400-429-460.pdf - Index of

Large socket and brass hammer being used
for installing a rope seal in the bearing cap
by laying the cap in vise jaws. Don't clamp
on the cap. Work around seal until it is all
the way in its groove, then trim ends flush
with cap or block, Install seal in block the
same way.
SILICONE
SEALER
I
Sl LICONE SEALER
Drawing shows how to position a split-lip-type seal. Each half should project approximately 3/8-inch out of its groove in the bearing cap
and block, but on opposite sides so the two will engage when the cap is installed. Apply a small amount of silicone sealer just prior to
installing the cap. Here's a cap with its bearing insert, seal and sealer ready to be installed.
Each bearing half has a bent-down tab
at one end. The top bearing halves which
go into the block are grooved. Their tabs
are located off-center whereas the bottom
halves are not grooved and their tabs are
centered. The locating tabs help prevent
the bearings from being installed wrong.
Install the bearings in the block by
first putting the tab of each bearing in
the notch at the edge of its bore. Hold
the bearing flush with the edge of the
bearing bore with a finger or thumb
while you force the bearing into place by
pushing down on the opposite end with
your other thumb.-All the bearing halves
will go in with little effort except for the
center one. It also serves as a thrust bearing,
and will require more force because
the thrust flanges fit tightly around the
bearing web.
Before installing the top bearing halves
in the caps, lightly file the cap-to-block
mating surfaces to ensure the caps will fit
in their registers. To do this, you'll need a
large flat, fine-tooth file. Lay the file on
your bench and stand a cap up on the file.
Lightly run the cap over the file a few
times while holding the cap square against
the file. Be careful not to remove any
material from the cap except for nicks or
burrs-small projections raised above the
normal mating surface. After doing this,
install the non-grooved inserts into the
caps.
Check Bearings-to-Journal Clearance-You
have already determined the correct size
bearings for your main bearings by measuring
the main journals with a micrometer.
Due to the relatively close accuracy
of mikes and the close tolerances to
which bearings are manufactured, direct
clearance checks are unnecessary,
assuming the right bearings got in the
right box. However, assuming can cause
considerable trouble and checking merely
takes time.
Rear-Main-Bearing Seal-If you have a
split-lip rear-main-bearing seal, you can
install it now if you aren't clearance
checking with Plastigage. If you have the
rope type, install it later if you are
checking main-bearing clearances now
using either method. With this in mind,
let's get on with installing both types of
seals.
Split-Lip-Seal Installation-If your engine
was originally equipped with a rope sealchances
are it was as it came from the
factory-a sharp pin is centered in the seal
groove in the rear-main cap.
Remove the pin with a small punch,
driving it out from the back-side in. If
you've already installed a bearing insert in
the cap, remove it so it won't get damaged.
Reinstall it after you have the seal
in place. Place the cap over the end of a
piece of wood so the load taken by the
cap is directly below the pin as you drive
it out.
With the rope-seal pin out of the cap,
fill the rernaininghole with silicone sealer,
install the seal and reinstall the bearing
insert. Lightly coat the seal halves with
oil, and while installing them, don't let
oil get on the block and cap mating surfaces.
If it does, wipe them clean with
lacquer thinner. The seal lip must point
toward the front of the engine when
installed. Also, don't line up the ends of
the seal halves with the cap and block
mating surfaces. Rotate the seal halves in
the block and cap so one end projects
approximately 318 inch up from the
block and cap mating surfaces and so
they fit together with the cap installed.
RopeSeal Installation-Put half of the
rope seal in the block groove, laying it
edgeways in the groove. Force it in with
your thumb, leaving both ends of the
seal extending above the block and cap
ENGINE ASSEMBLY 99