Trying to do a bandaid fix is chancey and may wind up being a waste of your time, efforts, and money only to have to re-do what you should have done from the beginning.
#1. Read the enclosed Bulletin first. Photo 1.
#2. If the mains have been line honed, you will have only aggravated problem #1 from above in the Bulletin, so the main cap grooves should be checked to ensure the rear main seal grooves are equally concentric .
#3. Most of the 455 cranks I have seen or heard about (to include some of the aftermarket cranks) will have small serrated-like cuts on the crank's main cap journal. This was to provide a slight amount of oil to be captured and lubricate the rope seal. These serrations, depending on how aggressive they may be cut, will tear into an aftermarket VITON rear seal. The serrations need to be "knocked down" using emery cloth and made smooth so as not to dig into the Viton seal. Photo 2.
#4. I used the BOP 2-piece seal without issues on a previous 400CI build. You do need to follow the directions and use a silicone sealer as instructed to make the seal work. The seal needs to be installed in a specific orientation and if flipped backwards, you'll get leaks. The seal requires a specific "stick out" when trimmed. I recall I got a spacer that was used in trimming the seal with a razor blade. Put a light coating of oil on the crank journal and let it set-up for 24-hours.
#5. Due in part to the serrations on the 455 crank, it has been suggested to go with the rope seal, but use the aftermarket graphite rope seal - not the one that comes from a rebuild kit or local auto parts store.
#6. Can you install it with the engine together and slip it under the crank? Yep, as outlined by others. But, get it wrong, out of alignment, not seated correctly, or don't address the serrations IF you have them, and you can count on doing it over or live with the leak.
#7. Make sure you have the oil pan corner reinforcements at the rear of the pan. You can develop an oil leak if these are not used or have gone MIA. You may think you have a rear main seal leak, but it was the pan leak all along. Photo 3.
#8. Some builders have had problems with the aftermarket stock oil pan leaking at the rear. The round contour may not fit tight and crush the rubber style seal that most use. Many oil pan kits will have the cork seal and these are said to be a better choice, but can still leak and may require some re-work of the aftermarket pan. So be aware of this and check your fit.
#8. I have read both success and failure stories with the VITON seals, so it can be a crap shoot in my opinion. Have not really read any problems with the graphite rope seal. So be aware of the rear main seal grooves may not provide a perfectly round groove to set the seal into and this can pose a problem with sealing and thus leaking. The rope seal may be a better choice in this case. If your crank does not have the serrations, then the VITON seal may be better used providing no concentric issues with the seal grooves it will fit into.
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