A split ring advancing mechanism suitable for assembling a split ring seal assembly that is radially distributed about a central axis thereof, the split ring advancing mechanism including: a seal ring that is split into first and second split ring halves; a housing that is split into first and second housing halves, the first and second housing halves including respective first and second ring seat halves into which the first and second split ring halves can be respectively seated; an elastomeric sealing member split into first and second elastomeric halves that form seals respectively between the first ring half and first housing half, and between the second ring half and the second housing half, the split ring advancing mechanism further comprising: a flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) attachable to an exterior of the first housing half and configured to shift the first split ring half radially inward while the first split ring half remains axially seated in the first ring seat half, so that ends of the first split ring half extend circumferentially beyond corresponding ends of the first elastomeric half, the flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) being flexible so as to allow the first split ring half to move radially outward into a radially seated configuration as the first and second housing halves are assembled. a seal ring that is split into first and second split ring halves; a housing that is split into first and second housing halves, the first and second housing halves including respective first and second ring seat halves into which the first and second split ring halves can be respectively seated; an elastomeric sealing member split into first and second elastomeric halves that form seals respectively between the first ring half and first housing half, and between the second ring half and the second housing half, the split ring advancing mechanism further comprising: a flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) attachable to an exterior of the first housing half and configured to shift the first split ring half radially inward while the first split ring half remains axially seated in the first ring seat half, so that ends of the first split ring half extend circumferentially beyond corresponding ends of the first elastomeric half, the flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) being flexible so as to allow the first split ring half to move radially outward into a radially seated configuration as the first and second housing halves are assembled. a flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) attachable to an exterior of the first housing half and configured to shift the first split ring half radially inward while the first split ring half remains axially seated in the first ring seat half, so that ends of the first split ring half extend circumferentially beyond corresponding ends of the first elastomeric half, the flexible alignment component (200, 300, 302, 500, 600, 706, 708, 710) being flexible so as to allow the first split ring half to move radially outward into a radially seated configuration as the first and second housing halves are assembled.