Rear Main Question

['64 Dart]

Good Morning All
In the past 50+ years I have owned more /6's than I can remember. Sold my last one ('64 Dart) about ten years ago.
Fast forward to today and I (we) are the proud owners of a '67 Dart GT ragtop.
The car shows 107K and appears to have been reasonably well cared for, which brings me to my question.
If memory serves me correctly, leaky rear main seals were a 'common' problem. This '67 is no different.
Have there been improvements made over the past decade, or do I order up a parts store Fel-Pro set?
As always, all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for your time
'64 Dart

 

[RustyRatRod]

Good Morning All
In the past 50+ years I have owned more /6's than I can remember. Sold my last one ('64 Dart) about ten years ago.
Fast forward to today and I (we) are the proud owners of a '67 Dart GT ragtop.
The car shows 107K and appears to have been reasonably well cared for, which brings me to my question.
If memory serves me correctly, leaky rear main seals were a 'common' problem. This '67 is no different.
Have there been improvements made over the past decade, or do I order up a parts store Fel-Pro set?
As always, all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for your time
'64 Dart

Not really. The rear seal itself isn't a point of contention, but the rubber seals that seal the rear seal retainer to the block. They are both a pain to get installed and a lot of times, they will slip out of position without you knowing it and that's where you have the leak issue. I use silicone RTV in the side slots. I fill them up good, so that when I press the seal retainer into the block, it kinda makes a mess. That way you know you got enough in there for a good seal. Then just wipe the excess off. I also put a small amount on the sides of the retainer that make contact with the block next to the top half of the seal, as well as a dab on each end of the seal itself. It sounds by my description that I glob it all over God's creation, but when I am done, that's far from the truth. I have yet to have one leak using that method.