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Rear Main Seal Trouble!

Corey199

Ready to race!
Location
San Diego, California
Car(s)
2017 Volkswagen GTI
Help!
Currently replacing my clutch and rear main seal. I am upgrading to the iABED rear main seal just as some preventative maintenance and I cannot get the seal into the housing. I can’t push it any further in, and cannot get it out to lube it with oil to push it back in. Any suggestions? I have included some photos to show what I am talking about.

Also, should I try to get all of the gasket maker off of the back of the housing as pictured? Previously tried to install onto the car and it spread out over the gasket surface, but now I have taken it off the car and it has dried.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 

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George Ab

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Pacific NW
Sorry to hear this, been there done that. Not on this, but on other seals. Thread discussing which discusses making sure it is not cocked. https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ear-main-seal-read-before-you-install.374346/

If you try to remove seal to lube edge before installing (as you should of done, but I have lubed and still had them go in at angle), you will likely destroy seal. Not the end of the world as you can just get new seal, much preferable to doing the job again in a few months. Other option is to drive it home or use a press while making sure the entire front of seal is contacted while you drive or press it in. Could put on flat surface and then drive the plate or put in vise with flat surface covering entire edge of sea, vice jaws would be located over the area you are trying to push in. If you deform seal in attempt to drive home, replace seal.

PS Just remembered, I have also used the old seal to put on new seal to drive that home when it was in say a transmission still in vehicle where I didn't have luxury of using a vice. Idea is old seal back to back of new seal to spread force and messes up old seal and not new.
 
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Corey199

Ready to race!
Location
San Diego, California
Car(s)
2017 Volkswagen GTI
Thank you! I made a sort of wood donut to put on the seal and tried to hammer it in but it won’t budge. I’ll look into that thread but probably just gonna have to buy a new seal at this point.
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
Thank you! I made a sort of wood donut to put on the seal and tried to hammer it in but it won’t budge. I’ll look into that thread but probably just gonna have to buy a new seal at this point.
That linked post it about how they did the install wrong for the seal to the shaft.... you have not got to that part yet.


I have iabed rms also, that seal doesn’t just fit in by had you have to get it in with pressure. I put mine on some 2x4 then another piece on top of the seal flush and hit that with a dead blow to get it seated.
 

Daks

Autocross Champion
Location
Toronto
Car(s)
GTI PP
I had mine done at a shop and they showed me this little plastic tool, almost like a white little cup, that they used to get it in there. Not sure if that helps.
 
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