No, the tits pull upwards to attach the rubber to the front cover. With the balancer on the crank, it's tough to get behind it to pull all the tits through. If you can't get to the ones in the center and don't want to remove and reinstall the balancer, cut them off so they don't get smashed between the cover and the pan lip. They can make a hollow pocket that oil can get past and leak. Leave the ends ones on and install them properly so the rubber is located in the right place. As long as you are careful and slow, are using studs to line it all up and NO SILICONE, the end tits should work fine to retain it. Uncured silicone is a great lubricant, and it'll allow the rubber to slide every which way as you tighten the bolts.
As far as the rear seal is concerned, it's very straightforward. After you've installed the upper half of the seal, use a TINY bit of hylosil/hylomar sealant or quality silicone smeared on the metal between the block and main cap. DO NOT get any on the rear seal. This is just insurance against oil wicking through the metal-to-metal contact. Don't forget to torque the main cap
I thought I forgot to do that once, and tore open a 460 Ford only to find out that I HAD done it
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David
newbie #4153
