(insert plethora of obscene language) I have spent literally at least 2 hours trying to get this POS seal to go into place, I have tried a couple different methods, tapping it in with a piece of pvc pipe, tapping in one side at a time, no matter what I do I can't get the gd thing started, everytime I get one side to go in it pushes the other back out, then I switch and the reverse happens.

I need the easiest most effective way to get this thing in, before I lose my cool...

 

A manual valvebody would make it all better.

Set the pvc pipe against the metal ring of the seal.
Make sure the seal is even against the tailhousing.
Use a 3lb sledgehammer and hit hard sideways against the end of the PVC pipe right at the middle of it. Sideways is so you don't accidentally hit one side or the other.

It takes force to drive it in far enough so that it doesn't push to one side, as you're seeing. Once it's partway in, the rest of the way will be easy to tap in.

If the tailhousing is out and on the bench, the output isn't an issue and you can just use a flat piece of wood on most seals that don't have a dust-shield like the OEM T56 seals.

 

Eh, a manual valve body wouldn't solve that in any way...manual body or no, the transmission still has to output to the driveshaft...And thanks for the tip, but I just gave up, I would rather pay the shop then spend another 2 hours under there, I need a new oil adapter gasket put on too anyways(the engine needs hoisted, and I have no hoist and would rather not risk denting the pan with a jack, even using a piece of wood it can buckle..) Just going to let the shop have my business for the really fun jobs