Don, do you mean 55 gallons worth of sealant?
I should also state I work mostly in soft woods.
If you have boxed heart timber and the pith is closer to one side than the others, I suspect you can't put enough sealer on to stop the check. Orientate the timber so the pith is closest to the boarded surface and or saw/force the check with a kerf. Will sealer stop timber from twisting, too?
