If you don't have the time or money to buy an installation tool to install the water pump seal you can do it manually without one. I figured this out today in about five minutes.

First apply a little bit of oil on the inner surface of the seal.

Then match up one of your fingers that closely match the inner diameter.

Make sure that both lips of the seal face OUTWARDS and STAY that way.

Insert your finger tip into the hole as if it were an axle.

Now roll the seal on flat surface with slight downward pressure.

You will have to make several passes like this and each time press a little bit harder and harder. Be careful that the seal lips continue to face OUTWARDS.

Now clean up the water pump shaft with fine grit sand paper or other.
This shaft must slide into the seal without folding the black lip inward.
If it does not slide in easily continue rolling the seal with your finger until it accepts the correct diameter.

Now you've finally got the seal on the shaft, with both lips still outwards.
Slide the shaft onto the spline shaft(block) until it bottoms out completely.

Slide seal down shaft with black side towards block.

Use 13/16 socket and mallot to drive seal in completely. Done.

 

You can buy the tool pretty cheap on ebay. You can also use a sharpie pen cap.

 

And how long does it take to order one? More than five minutes online I bet, plus shipping time. I suppose if you are a mechanic or plan to do this job a dozen times maybe it warrants a tool. The sharpie pen cap sounds like a good idea though.

 

http://ace1252.com/images/water_pump_seal_tool.JPG

 

Okay cool this thread may serve for people looking in the future.

I like the sharpie, although my sharpie is the smaller type. I would have to run out and get one. I saw a video that uses a socket too. The socket would be a common tool available to most people doing this work. Ofcourse the finger being the most common and dexterous tool available.

 

This procedure has been widely referred to since it was posted 8 years ago. Pretty much the same as what you posted.

 

Devine

you need to understand the WP drive and Opti seals on the timing cover go on "dry" meaning you don't use oil or grease....the material of the lips of the seal are designed to install dry.

You are posting advice that is wrong regarding useing oil/grease

the "tool" is the way to go but many use the "sharpie" or socket method

the WP drive seal has 2 lips with one needed to face in (that is the one that often folds over) and the other faces on the outside but that is not the one that folds over on install

 

That is not what my instructions said, however I have seen other people say this too and others say no. I went with the instructions as it made sense because the material is prone to deformation.

I believe it is referring to the outside of the seal. This may vary in some instructions, but you wouldn't want the seal to pop out so dont use oil there. The inner lip of the seal is completely fine with oil, because it is exposed to it as it's main function. If you are worried like that but still want to do it manually you could wipe off the excess oil once on the shaft. Not sure how oil will hurt an oil seal.

EDIT: come to think of it, I did see a youtube video where the water pump side of the seal was made of paper. In that case I would not use oil because the paper could easily rip when saturated. Has anyone seen one with paper on it? Mine was yellow teflon and did not rip.

 

Per FelPro instructions "PTFE" seals install "dry".

 

The PTFE seal itself is installed dry dude. They also say dry for the inner surface on the timing cover's sealing surface. Make sure it's clean though.

 

Oh yeah and the tool is great until you put it into the toolbox and it gets all nicked up. Then you throw the seal on there dry against the instructions and you are asking for a leak. Could get lucky I guess.

 

Divine

yes the insert in the LT1 TC gasket kit from FelPro reads as you note. IIRC the "GM" WP drive seal did say to install dry so that is just how I have always done it (don't know who actually made the GM seals). I did search PTFB seals and found install 411 that did say "use fluid that seal will be in contact with to lubricate inner lip of seal" so that corresponds to what FelPro says.

Yeah the "tool" could get knicked if used or stored carelessly. I have both the Kent Moore plastic "tool" and the metal one made by a member of another forum.

The "tool" use when engines are assembled new by GM go on the spline shaft then the TC is put on "over" them with the seals already installed on the timing cover and once in place the tool is removed. We obviously put the tool over the spline shaft with seal already on it and then push/drive the seal in place with a socket

The FelPro seals have a red coating on the outside edges of all three (WP, Opti & Crank) seals which is some form of sealant so nothing required on that part of the seal

it appears FelPro wants oil on the yellow lips of the WP drive seal and inside enges of Crank seal and nothing on Opti seal.

I have just always put the WP drive seal on dry with no issues but it seems FelPro says it is OK to use oil on the lips

 

I think because the manufacturer wants to keep text to a minimum it is often worded vaguely or ambiguously with more than one possible meaning.

For example seals install dry meant the seals outer edge, not the inner lip.
The clincher was that it is an oil seal, so why would oil not be allowed on the inner lip. So we're good right, I'm not providing false advice?

 

im in the middle of re sealing the front of my engine, and it looks like i instaleld the waterpump seal wrong back in 2008, explains all the thrown oil ive had since then. Ive had a coil covered in slight film of oil since then lol, guess i'll do it right this time around.

 

No, you are not providing false advice and apologies for infering you did as what you posted was against what I had understood for years.

My understanding was always the WP and Opti seals went in dry. I know I have also read this which was specific about "do not use oil..". this may go back to when I got the WP drive seal alone from GM parts counter for like $6.xx years ago vs using the FelPro kit that included one...which looks EXACTLY like the GM one

After further review the insert included in the FelPro kit, to me, says just the Opti seal is installed dry. By dry my understanding would be do not put oil/lubricant on any part of the seal.

FWIW I have installed at least 6 of these WP drive seals, all "dry" using either the "tool" or just a socket. Even with the "tool" you can FU and fold the inner lip over. The tool or whatever you use (sharpie pen cap or socket) fits just over the OD size of the spline shaft so as long as the tool is firm and centered against the shaft the forward lip should remain in that orientation as it slides on...