Short course on seal install.
Pack the seal cavity where the spring lives with grease. I like silicone, but axle grease is fine. This keeps the spring from popping out as you drive it. Also smear some on the seal friction lip.
If the seal bore has a sharp lip on the entry, knock it off, but don't scratch the bore in the process.
I use blue rtv on the seal perimeter so it slicks in and seals tight.
Use a piece of pipe just smaller than the seal bore but large enough not to impinge on the rubber of the seal to drive the seal square and evenly.
Use antiseize on the crank snout so the timing belt sprocket and balancer will come off easy next time. Trust me on this one...
Thanks for the info Fasteddy I think I may try to knock down the edge just a bit with some emery cloth to assit the seal and get it started. Also with try to add more RTV. I've got a good sized pipe fitting. I'm also wondering if the cold temps i'm working in are shrinking the bore hole just enough to cause all this. Maybe not I think the first time I replaced the seal was back in the fall in warmer temps. Nevre thought about pavking the seal with grease to keep the spring from popping off good call. As always your responses are incredibly insightful and helpful. I'm glad this forum exists.
If you've replaced it twice and still have the same problem, check the sealing surface on the crankshaft for scratches or other damage. If the seal doesn't have a smooth surface to seal against you'll be getting leaks there no matter how many new seals you install. There are repair sleeves available if you find that your crank has some sort of damage.
The crank better not have any damage as it is a reman that a shelled out some $$ for plus the snout looks fine, every time I have installed the seal the outer edge rubber peels back just a bit. Having not done this before I wasnt sure if that was normal but now through trial and error and from others comments I know that that is not suppossed to happen and that's keeping the seal from sealing against the bore of the oil pump case. So i'm trying to figure out how to get the seal to slide in without ripping up the rubber outer edge.
