I've sorted it in day light there was just so much dirt on it I couldnt see what I was doing. I soaked it overnight in degreaser. The old seal is out now just waiting for the new one.
I have seen minispares advertising an improved seal has anyone tried one? http://www.minispares.com/Product.aspx?pid=35157
This message board is like a family - you can't choose the other members!! But remember engine oil is thicker than water.
I made a special tool to centralize the cover when putting it back. It defenitly made a difference. The seal allways used to leak a little bit because I didn't centralize the cover acurate enough.
No need for an 'improved' seal - the original lasts for many years. The seal centralises in the bore of the cover - it can't be anything BUT central. The trick is to centralise the cover with the new seal on the crank pulley before finally tightening the peripheral bolts