Hello Everybody!

 

I'm almost done with a 3 month long project resealing my 1990 loyale's EA82 (head gaskets and the works!) I think I've used this forum more than my haynes manual, you guys rock!

Right now I'm a little stuck trying to get my rear main seal in. Does anybody have a little wisdom as to how to get this seal to seat straight??? I'm on seal #3 beacause I get close and then I pops in crooked and I destroy it geting it back out 

any tips would be appreciated

Thanks!

 

Take the seal to Home Depot or anywhere they sell PVC/ABS pipe fittings.

 

Match up the seal diameter to the correct size PVC pipe......If you need a half size between use an end cap or piece with a "female" side.

 

Use that cap and hit it with a mallot as a seal driver

Take the seal to Home Depot or anywhere they sell PVC/ABS pipe fittings.

 

Match up the seal diameter to the correct size PVC pipe......If you need a half size between use an end cap or piece with a "female" side.

 

Use that cap and hit it with a mallot as a seal driver

Yeah, .........what Gloyale said....is likely spot on always.  Years ago, I did the same thing you are doing.  Finished the whole job to find I had damaged the rear main seal.  So after getting advice from a local Subaru guru, he let me borrow a large socket that was the perfect size to to place on the seal as I tapped it in with a rubber mallet.  Also, IIRC he advised to coat the seal with a film of motor oil.  Hope this helps and take care.  Aaron

I usually used a blunt end small pick (hint paper clip opened up) to guide or walk the seal lip carefully around the sealing surface while fitting and positioning it. This way you don't fold the inner lip of the seal over the wrong way without noticing and ruin the seal.  Just a tip, feel free to use it or toss it out as needed 

Wow you guys are fast! I'm going to try the abs pipe technique tonight. As I understand it the seal should be flush right?

Flush or just a hair below

 

Do not drive it to the bottom......it will leak.

Also another tip from the HTKYSA book....get some wheel bearing grease and fill up the inside sealing surface.  This will protect the seal for the first start up until it has oil in it.  For the outside of the seal Use permatex #2 gasket maker and put a thin layer all the way around the seal.  

Got It!

Thanks for the help everybody! I found some matching diameter abs pipe and got it in flush. Also, I almost learned the hard way that the haynes manual randomly decided to switch to ft-in on the flywheel torue specs. Weird....

Hopefully tomorrow I'll drop this into my 1990 loyale 5speed and I'll be off and running!