Rear Crank Oil Seal help please

Defender 200tdi 110

Hi all,
Read a few threads on this but still not clear! Picked up a genuine LR Crear Cranck Oil seal today. Comes with a white plastic insert, obviously to help fitting. Trouble is the "fat" bit of the seal will be left jammed in behind seal so far as I can see so I do need talking through this please!

1) Can I put seal in without taking off the flywheel housing (ie by just taking off clutch and flywheel? If so how does the white pastic bit come out?
2) Or do I need to take off flywheel housing, tap in new seal...and then what with white plastic bit

Thanks in advance

fly whheel housing comes off dont touch seal lip if possible use old seal and or dolly made of ply etc to tap in square, not enough to tap it around edge plastic helps locate when refitting housing

Thanks James but as I see it I wont be able to remove the plastic when its back on as it will be too fat to withdraw past seal?

and when you say a ply dolly what do you mean, a flat piece of ply as wide as the seal?

yes something like that that covers the whole of seal its easy to damage seal and make it leak ,check your sleeve is right way round its designed to rest on crank while you push housing and seal over it then pull out,but it will need to come out to help fitting in housing just be careful of seal lip as is different to general oil seals

you WILL have to take your housing off, so when it it off and before you remove the old seal, imagine that you have fitted the new seal and with the flywheel housing facing you (as it would when it is fitted ) put the plastic guide in the seal, I think then you will see which way it goes and how it guides the seal lip over the crank and also how (as you tighten the housing ) the guide will get pushed off. It only goes one way so try it both ways and all will become clear.
p.s. when you've sussed it, give the guide a good clean before using it on the new seal.

OK thanks both, will let you know sometime next week!

The guide should go in the way round that is difficult.. If that makes sence? So that as you push it over the crank it opens the seal.

That does make sense, that's the way it comes in the pack but I didnt think it would draw through the seal, but I think it will.

It went fine. Flywheel housing removed, oil seal in (bit of a job but tapped in with a piece of ply). White plastic with the wide end (which looks worng way round) pointing to engine. Push housing onto the dowels and it pops througb with seal seated nicely.

Thanks for the help

plastic thing works really well, would be a nightmare without it! glad it worked out.