InjectedSS

ok what im trippin on is... when you buy the seal theres like 2 lips in it... the front lip is just a lil bigger than the inner diameter of the seal.. now the back lip is the black one thats REAL stiff and it comes facing with the lip pointed towards the back.. now is it supposed to be installed that way or are you supposed to bend it so it sits flush with the front lip that way they both just slide on the shaft??

thewinner

Truefully, no one really knows on here, not even shoebox!

I installed mine with the yellow seal inverted towards the motor, and have had no problems, i have no clue how the black one is cause you cant see it!

shoebox

Whichever way the seals were pointing when I got the new one out of the package, was the way I put it on (as far as I can remember). If you wallow out the seal with your finger a little, the seal will stay that way long enough for you to put it on a socket or whatever, to use as an install tool.

I started with it like the top pic, but ended up with a larger socket (lower pic) to ram the seal on and used an extension to hold it as I butted the smaller socket up to the w/p shaft. The smaller socket was the same outer diameter as the w/p shaft and could be slid over the splines, so the seal would not be damaged.

I have zero leaks.

97 6SPEED Z

This must be the $64,000 question on this board I have installed the water pump drive shaft seal three(3) times just as shown on Shoebox's photo, and they have all started leaking after about 500 miles Some people have installed the seal with both the yellow and black "lips" facing inwards, (towards the motor), and report NO leaks. Others, (like Shoebox did), have installed the seal with the yellow lip facing AWAY from the motor, and the black lip facing in TOWARD the motor, and also report NO leaks I'm begining to think that I'm just not living right??? I also have used the double female connector shaft which goes between the male drive gear and the male input gear on the back of the water pump as my installation tool, and as far as I can tell have not cut or damaged the seal during installation. This appears to be borne out because the seals I installed using this method all look good for about 500 miles and then they start leaking

Does anyone on this board actually work at a GM dealership where they could "look up" the proper way this seal is supposed to be installed???? I'd really like to know the answer to this question before I do mine, AGAIN!!!!

shoebox

The factory manual says "Be careful not to damage the seal when installing the engine front cover assembly over the water pump driveshaft assembly."

Definitely an understatement. No other tips are given.

I would imagine that it would be the tendency of the rear part of the seal to fold under and point outward like the front shown in my pic. Perhaps yours is not sealing because you have a bad groove worn in the sealing surface of the w/p drive?

InjectedSS

ok so in that pic theres the yellow lip which is ONE of the two lips in that seal... my concern is the inner lip! does it face towards the radiator just like the front lip.. or does it face towards the engine OPPOSITE from the front lip??

Don 97 SS

I would agree with the notion above. The W/P shaft drive assembly is a wear item and should be replaced. WP Shaft assembly GM#10219554 $37.31 / 2 "O" rings GM#12553792 @ $1 This is mentioned in the book "Rebuilding LT1/LT4 engines" as a source of leaks if it is worn and not replaced. Also, I trust you know to install the WP seal AFTER installing the timing cover. (Install the other two seals with the timing cover off). I know this sounds strange, but if done this way reduces the chances of damaging the WP seal.

97 6SPEED Z

Well shoebox you might be on to something I thoroghly lubricate both the seal lips and shaft with SAE 30W motor oil during assembly, and I can definately tell you that as I slide the seal into place, that the inner "black" lip is installed facing inward toward the motor. It DEFINATELY DOES NOT fold back over to face forward like the yellow lip is installed. Also, there appears to be no "groove" worn into the pump shaft itself. I have tried to install this seal with both the yellow and black lips folded into the timing cover, (towards the engine), but that makes the hole for the shaft soooooo...... small that the seal lips just get mangled/cut. You really think that the proper way to install this seal is with BOTH lips facing out??? I've NEVER tried that

97 6SPEED Z

Don 97 SS, I assume that the water pump drive assembly is a "wear" item because the teeth on the drive gear "wear" where(no pun intended) they are driven by the cam sprocket The "sealing surface" of my water pump drive shaft is TOTALLY free of any visual groove or defects, and yes, I'm installing the seal AFTER the timing cover is already on. They is also NO apparent "runout" of the shaft as it rotates, which sort of negates the idea of excessive wear at the drive gear end???

How many of you have installed this seal with BOTH the yellow and black "lips" facing OUT from the timing cover/engine???? And have you had any leakers????

shoebox

The yellow part of mine is facing out like this. I am pretty sure that the inside seal is facing toward the engine (if that was the way the seal was when it was in the package. I don't have a pic of it, just out of the package-and I don't remember).

InjectedSS

hey shoebox.. on the yellow lip is the the front or the rear lip???

shoebox

If I understand your question, it's the front part of the seal-see the pic?

Don 97 SS

A sum total of one.

I researched the matter before for doing a cam change and got advice from an LT1/LS1 national performance/tuner firm. I also read the very nice book I mentioned above. I can't recall exactly how the lips were positioned but I believe it looked like the wonderful pic that Shoebox has provided for us. I can't imagine it looking/fitting otherwise.

97 6SPEED Z

Shoebox, you are "The Man" when it comes to great photos!!! Don 97 SS, yep the problem is my final installation looks EXACTLY like that wonderful photo the "Shoe" has linked us to If Shoebox had installed his seal with BOTH lips facing out, you would be able to see the black lip under the yellow one. Well maybe next time I replace this seal, I'll try it your way

The really funny thing I've learned from this post is that some of us have set this seal with 1) both lips "in", 2) both lips "out" and yes even some like I did it with 3) one lip "in" and one lip "out"; and for at least some of us, it worked anyway

InjectedSS

ok so just to clairfy.... the front lip faces out (towards the radiator) and the inner back lip faces towards the engine... correct???