With very grateful thanks to Mark DTM (aka Fuse 19) I am now the proud owner of a brand new seal
So we now know what Saturdays job is .. oil change, breather clean , new top hat seal..
However ...... your collective wisdom sought
Chatting down the pub last night about things various, and the subject of this seal arose.... and various comments ensued, to cut it short ... when I "were a lad" and started doing my own maintenance, I always put a smear of Vaseline on seals such as this. Years later I was told that Vaseline, being petroleum based, damaged the seals and they should be fitted "dry", which is what I have been doing. Several said that was daft and that they used Vaseline as it made fitting easier, and the seal did not stick or get damaged on removal. Two said they now used "silicon grease" on seals as it did the same but at no risk of reacting with the rubber as it is not petroleum based.
So whats the opinion of you all please ??
Dry
Vaseline
Silicon Grease
?