Rear main seal and a tube of toothpaste?

Rear main seal and a tube of toothpaste?

Well maybe I'm over thinking this **** again! I temporarily installed the seal 1/2 without tabs in the block and then placed crank in. There appears to be some "squish" on the seal which looks good?
The other seal 1/2 with tabs I just laid in the cap where it should go. Altho I will admit i thought the tabbed 1/2 got trimmed and installed in block?
To me it looks like that if installed as intended you can' offset the seal? Or if you trim tabs and install in cap then do you fill/seal these new "gaps" with rtv?
Thanks guys.

GeorgeH said
That's a spoon so you can roll the seal in without cutting the backside if that's what's your asking??

TrailBeast said
Like this, a thin coat on each side and I like to offset the seal ends so they don't line exactly up with there the cap and block come together.
Of course with the seal that has the wings on them you can't do it that way.

View attachment 1715118482

pishta said
that spoon looks like a ways cleaner, run it in the groove to see if there is any crap stuck in there>? How would you use it to roll the seal in.?

IIRC the cap recess in the block is the edge you see outboard of the bolt holes. run a thin bead there.