Rope seal change?

The small pin in the cap…do you knock that out for the new seal?

yes you remove the spike retainer in the main cap. an appropriate size pin / drift punch taps it right out. i make sure the hole gets filled with RTV during the install of the new seal to eliminate the possibility of oil migrating through from one side to the other. getting the rope seal out? anything goes i guess. i'd crack off all the rest of the main caps and lift the crank as much as possible. actually i'd take down the rest of the engine and get the heads done, run a berry bush hone, add new rings and bearings etc ... but that's your call / your budget. you'll need the crank up out of the way at least a little bit to get the rope out and the neoprene in 

On rare occasions to get the upper seal unstuck (using a Sneaky Pete), I rotated the crank slightly in the direction of removal.

Thanks.

When you take the rear main cap off to poke the pin out, usually a piece of the seal stays enough intact that you can pin the rope to the crank with your thumb while someone else spins the crank over with a ratchet or breaker bar. The seal rolls right out as you spin the crank.

The Sneaky Pete tool is "generally" used to re-install another rope seal although it does come with a "cork screw" removal tool.

Since you are replacing the rope with neoprene, and if you can get the old one out, you do not need to buy the tool.

I have use a sheet rock screw to successfully tug the old seal out, but when someone can spin the crank while you pull on it with the screw or pin it to the crank with your thumb, it works a whole lot easier.

Mike H.

Ha Ha