Using Best brand rear main seal 3878 - new repro

Courtesy Man
Courtesy Man Expert Adviser
in "How To" - Skills, mechanical and other wise

Just received the rear main seal for Hudson Big Six - anyone tried this? It is a narrow rubber half circular seal. The original is much wider and sits next to a deep groove that accepts the other cloth and twine seal. Lip on new rubber seal seems much too narrow to work and in the instructions no mention of the twine seal - only description of using the included mop twine on the vertical grooves of the main bearings. Anyone familiar with this - is it a waste of $60? Thanks Gert

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  • TwinSupercharged
    TwinSupercharged Expert Adviser

    This could be an informative thread. With other's experience with rope seal installation with engine in car.

    Is your engine in or out of the car?

    Hudson designed the journal around a rope seal which did not require the seal groove to be precision machined. Hence lip seal leakage. There are claims out there that some say they had no leaks???

    My personal experience with the lip seal was failure. I made a half-ass compromise by fabricating a diaper to collect the leakage.

    With the engine in the car and me with no lift, it will be a cold day in hell when I crawl on my back in my garage to install a rear rope seal.

    I look forward to reading all tips on your issue. Fred

  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser

    Lots of excitement about rubber seals for the rear main of a Hudson Big 6. As time passed, the folks toned down their enthusiasm and replaced it with stories about leakage from the failed seals. My mentor showed me how to install the rope seal with balsa inserts in a manner that rarely leakes when properly installed.

  • TwinSupercharged
    TwinSupercharged Expert Adviser

    Ken, any chance you could share this with us?

  • Courtesy Man
    Courtesy Man Expert Adviser

    Update on lack of progress but increase hopefully in understanding. Goal is to install main bearing caps with bearings on 1951 Hornet engine out of car. The engine was abandoned by owner some years ago and I purchased it from the machine shop that had prepped the engine by installing valve train, ground crank, bored cyl .060 over and supplied most of needed parts - but not main caps. They probably lost them and I did not get to work on this untill later. Here is punch line - finally. Having no caps I robbed some off another engine - turned out 1955-56 mains - rear main - slightly different from 48-54. Now it makes sense that Best brands sells main seals for 55-56 different from 48-54. So now I need to find - probably have it in the weeds- an engine 48-54 that I can take proper Main caps out of to use on 51 block. The rear main differs in the groove and retainment of seal. Hope this makes sense - I thought they were identical. Gert

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  • cheyenne7271
    cheyenne7271 Member

    I have a couple of junk engines I can sell you a rear cap. I won’t be back in the states til next week to harvest it. Let me know if and where you’re located.

  • cheyenne7271
    cheyenne7271 Member


  • Courtesy Man
    Courtesy Man Expert Adviser

    Thanks Cheyenne - pulled one off a 48-54 six cyl - boy is it different from the 55-56. Will continue now. Gert

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