Hey 911,
Dont despair !!
i have stuffed up like this a few times especially with real big seals, one was 12" diameter.
Your biggest problem will be if the old spring has stretched over time. On a few occasions I have very carefully undone the spring ~ it has a cone ending where it screws into itself to make the circle. undo that & you can cut 1/4" off the spring & screw it back together. That way the spring will be tight on the seal.
To put the spring back in, best get one bit of it in place & then gradually work it back into place from both sides. A bit like putting a tire on a rim. Jewelers screwdrivers are good. So are dentists tools ( not having a go at you ~ they are great for fiddly work like this).

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Well, I decided to go ahead and try something.

I rooted around my Tools and found a bunch of what I call "Heel Bars" that I used to use to remove direct Injection type Injectors.

I found one that seemed to fit best and pried carefully. It turned out not to be very hard to pry the seal out; certainly not like the original that I had to destroy to get out.
See pics. I circled the Tool in Red that I ended up using.

I guess it helped that when I installed the Seal I used a rubber type Gasket Cement on the edges.

Once out the Spring was easy to put on and I followed advice and stuck a Socket in the Center to keep the Spring under Tension so I would not have a repeat of the issue.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Good job getting the seal out. Rubber gasket cement? How did that help in getting the seal out? I woulda guessed it made it harder.

Did you drive the seal in with a series of small taps or a few big wacks? I think big wacks would put more acceleration on the spring, along with the unsupported lip, makes it more prone to popping off.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Because I used the Rubber Gasket Cement when I installed the Seal it did not harden. That made it easier to get out.

I the past I used to coat Seal bores and the outside of seals with Red Loctite before I Installed them. But, that was when someone else was paying for the Loctite.

In any event I am thankful that the new Seal came out as easy as it did (and I was able to reuse it) because the Old one took more drastic destructive measures to get it out.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

What was the purpose of the red loctite on oil seals?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Seals do not always come out easily. In the case of the differential Seals I had to Hammer a Screwdriver between the seal and the Bore to loosen the Seal. (You will never see me recommend this method to someone because you need to really be careful doing it. Also in this particular case I did it at the highest point I could and Differential Oil is not under pressure and is thick so there is very little chance it is going to leak.)

That often nicks up the Bore. You can dress down the high spots but there is low spots to deal with. Sealant takes care of that.

Also when I worked as a Mechanic I did everything possible to insure that what I worked on was not returned for any reason under warranty. For me sealants were insurance against the off chance of something leaking.

Also the outer surface of a lot of Seals is just plain Steel. You do not want to install a seal like that without some sort of Sealant.

When something comes back to the Shop under warranty the Shop pays the Mechanic to fix it for Free; they also lose the Profit the Mechanic could have made for the shop while he was doing the Free fix, and often they lose a Customer.
The Shop also loses the Cost of parts and materials used to do the Fix.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

More pics
In the last pic you can see the Groove where the Spring is supposed to go; a very small target when there is no room to get the Spring on.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel