General 302 Engine Reassembly

I pulled my 302 to fix a leaking freeze plug. Along the way I decided to paint the block. I also pulled the pan (to use another one I have). During the process I removed a main bearing cap. A little more wear than I would like so I decided to replace them while I am in there.

I dont consider this a rebuild. Just a repair that snowballed a little.
The engine ran fine and the compression was good.

I was to going start putting it back together tomorrow. I have a few questions.
1) Can I use a sealant on the freeze plug? They used a rubber plug and as a result the hole is a little corroded. I will clean it up but I would like to seal it.

2) I was planning to replace all of them because I assumed they were steel. I found they are brass. Do they still need to be replaced?

3) It has two piece rear main seal that I replaced last year. If I remove the cap will I need to replace the seal or will it be okay? I am having trouble locating one.

4) I sprayed some brake cleaner, simple green and engine degreaser on the block before I decided to not tear it down completely. Will that effect the head gaskets and intake seal?


For a while I was going to go through the entire engine but I only drive it a few hundred miles a year. At this rate it will last a longer than I will own it.