Does anyone pack their main (front, rear, etc.) seals with grease to help with the sealing process?

I have gotten conflicting opinions on whether or not to pack the cavity of seals with a high temperature grease before installing.

Does this help? Is it unnecessary? Just looking for some opinions. TIA.

A good coat of 140 weight gear oil works good for me.
Some rubbers do not like grease. They react (swell) over time.
Gear oil can't do any harm.

Yes. Do it. Not really a pack, but a wipe should be enough.

Seals don't like to run dry. The lips burn and the shaft gets scarred if they run dry.
Then they leak.
The only exception to this is if you have a neoprene or natural rubber seal designed to seal water. They don't like grease.

I ask because I recently installed a front main seal and coated the outside surface (toward impeller hub) and inside surface (that contacts the hub) with grease for help on startup. I have since been told that I should have literally filled the backside cavity with grease. It supposedly expands as the engine heats, thus providing a better seal.

I for one do not think it is necessary, but thought I'd see what others had done in the past.

QUOTE (BMartin914 @ Aug 31 2005, 11:17 AM)

I ask because I recently installed a front main seal and coated the outside surface (toward impeller hub) and inside surface (that contacts the hub) with grease for help on startup. I have since been told that I should have literally filled the backside cavity with grease. It supposedly expands as the engine heats, thus providing a better seal. I for one do not think it is necessary, but thought I'd see what others had done in the past.

The grease will just ooze out when it heats, it won't help seal. Just grease the part that contacts the shaft. As the grease wears off, engine oil will provide the lubrication. The grease is for break-in. Trust Sammy. They named a seal after him.


Andrew

Lubed mine up with gear oil. No leaky...

You absolutely want to lube every oil seal. I can't speak to grease vs. oil, and I don't knwo that it would make a whole lot ofdifference anyway, but lube them for sure so that they don't scar the sealing surface on startup. Sammy knows best.