Abstract: An improvement to a sealing system for restricting fluid flow around a piston rod between a piston cylinder and crankshaft space in a hot gas engine where a seal element is secured around the piston rod in an intermediate chamber, the improvement including a link in the crankshaft space connecting, and permitting relative radial motion between, the piston rod and the crosshead and an O-ring having a diameter substantially greater than that of the piston rod and being secured between a lower ring securing the seal element in place around the piston rod and a wall of the intermediate chamber for frictionally restricting radial movement of the lower ring.