Oil Seal Mishap

Replacing the passenger side oil seal and got a little heavy handed with the seal puller. Went over it a little with scotch brite to try and smooth it out a touch.
Just wondering how screwed I am or if there’s anything I should try to do before putting the new seal in.
Anyone else been in this boat before?
Thanks

 

I've seen worse not leak.

Big thing is put the seal a little deeper and make sure it has a little lubrication, like vasoline or slyaglide etc.

Scotch brite is the answer, and you'll want to clean off that rust lip.

 

Well that makes me feel a little better. Coating the seal in a little wheel bearing grease was my first thought

 

Ideally no petroleum product, grease supposedly shortens the life of oil seals.

 

Yes, I seen that before.
I used a dab RTV (sparingly, just a dab) in the gouge.
I didn’t have any issues.

Can I say for sure it was the RTV that sealed it, or the seal itself, No.
But it made me feel better, and seemed to have worked just fine.

 

Where did you hear that? It couldn't be further from the truth, unless you're talking about dumping petroleum oil in the brake system.

Engine/Trans/Chassis seals in automotive applications typical seal against grease and oil...both petroleum products, which is why they're made from compatible materials like Nitrile, Viton, or Teflon.

The OP...you are not the first one to gouge a seal fit during the removal process. Put a light coat of RTV in the scratch and you'll be fine.

I would have cleaned up the rust before installing the new bearing (if that is the new bearing)....if any of that rust gets in the bearing it will likely fail in short order.

 

You’re right it’s something I’ve carried for a long time.

I think what they mean is use the lubricant on the seal that it’s intended for.
Most penetrating fluids are a good example of a liquid you should not use to lubricate a seal.

most agree that vasoline is ideal for seal install.

 

I ended up smoothing the gouge out the best I could. Then stuffed a plastic bag in the housing to keep debris from going into the diff while cleaning up the rust.
I dabbed on a small amount of rtv and installed the seal with a little lubricant.
So far so good.
I appreciate the tips and advice