I'm at the point of finishing my engine and I elected to change out my rear main seal and the Crucifix Seals. Cruciform Seals as the RAVE calls them. I found a couple incomplete threads here by one particularly angry guy but never heard the end solution.

Here's my situation. I've got the rear most main cap out and the seals installed. As I understand the manual calls for a "globule" of sealant in this spot as I have applied it. As you can see from the pics, this seal seems to poke not only upwards (unsure if I'm supposed to trim that flush) and it protrudes outward from the cap (meaning it's thickness).



This is how it looks when I apply pressure gently w a clamp. The seal pops even more upwards. If this is installed I would never be able to "trim the excess" as the manual states. So I assume that line is referring to the oil pan side of the cap.





When I proceed to try and install this cap, that top part of the seal is stopping the cap from going into the block. Should I trim here? Or am I missing something?

 

Use a putty knife to get it in to the block, tap it down and torque it, then trim the excess.

 

That's a great idea. So leave the part sticking up at the top?

 

Yeah. You can pm me if want and I facetime while you do it.