***Warning! Before you attempt to install a new seal, you should always check for thin cracks around the rivet heads on the inside bottom of the pan. If you find a crack in the pan, then you will know the pan is leaking through that crack and is not repairable. If a rivet has loosened, appears to be coming out, or you can move the rivet head with your fingertip, then the pan will leak through that point. A new seal will not solve that problem. If you do not find any cracks or loose rivets, then continue reading and following through with the repair.

Most of the older red seals issued with the pans were manufactured with an outer diameter of 19mm. The 19mm outer diameter seal was cut down to 17mm by the manufacturer of the pan to make it fit into the 17mm diameter hole of the pan. If your pan has this old seal and the pan shaft is still secure, then you may push the seal out by removing the Snap Ring & Wing Nut Impeller from the bottom of the shaft. Then with minimal force push the shaft up and out the top of the pan. This action will push out the seal. If the shaft will not push through without using excessive force that may damage the pan, then please follow the directions in paragraph 2 & 3. If the pan shaft has already come loose and fell out the bottom of the pan, then you will need to follow the directions below in paragraph 2 & 3.

     The newer red seals in later productions of the pans are custom made two tear seals that have a bottom outer diameter of 19mm and an upper outer diameter of 17mm. These seals must be removed by prying them out with a double ended bottle/can opener or a pick & hook set. The seal can only be pried out if the pan shaft has fallen out the bottom of the pan. If the pan shaft is still secure, then you will not be able to get the seal out without damaging the pan. In this case please do not order a new seal. Please order a new pan.

***If the shaft has already fallen out the bottom, then you will need to pry out the old seal using an old double ended can opener / bottle opener. Place a business card or credit card in the bottom of the pan to prevent scratching when using the can opener to pry out the old seal. Place the pointed end of the opener into the center hole of the seal and gently pry upward moving from side to side until the seal pops out. Please note that the seal has an inner steel frame. If all you have removed so far is a thin piece of rubber, then you will need to remove the rest of the seal known as the inner frame. It is important that you be very careful when removing the old seal. If the hole the seal is in becomes swelled, warped, or chipped then the new seal may not seat successfully. 

***I strongly recommend removing the old seal before purchasing a new seal so that you can determine if the pan is in fact repairable. Please remove the seal first and use a magnifying glass to inspect the hole for chipped off non-stick coating, pitting, corrosion, dings, dents, swelling, or warping. If any of the damage above is present, then please do not order a seal. I can guarantee that it will not seat or seal correctly.

***Please be aware that each time you replace the seal it may not last as long as the previous seal, because the sleeve bearing in the bottom of the pan continues to wear, which causes more wobble that creates more stress for the seal to bear. The thin washer included in the seal kit replaces the Nylon, Teflon, or Fiber washer that was placed under the E-clip on the drive shaft. You will re-use any metal washers found on the bottom end between the sleeve bearing and the wing nut impeller.