ask all you want brother, that is what we are here for is to solve ours' and others' issues. I would put sealant under the seal halves where they rest in the half moon recesses (reasonable amt) and a slight bit on where the ends meet and a VERY slight coat on the holder to block mating surfaces & you can either use sealer on the sides of the seal holder in lieu of the side seals or use the seals & coat them with sealer then wipe off the excess when you push the holder in place either or side seal with no sealer & none is better than the other & people do em either way of the three to effect a barrier that the oil cannot pass. #1 clean the excess & you want no pathway for the oil