A split mechanical end face seal assembly for installation between a housing and rotatable shaft without the need for access to a free end of the rotatable shaft, and without the use of adhesives to provide a temporary connection between components of the split mechanical end face seal assembly during installation, the split mechanical end face seal assembly comprising: a split gland plate assembly adapted to be disposed about the rotatable shaft and secured to an outboard face of the housing; a split mating seal ring assembly including a segmented mating seal ring, having two mating seal ring segments adapted to be joined together around the rotatable shaft to form an outboard facing continuous radial annular seal face the segmented mating seal ring having structure defining an inward directed axial capture groove and an outboard directed radial capture groove; a segmented mating ring adapter assembly including two mating ring adapter segments, each mating ring adapter segment having structure defining an outboard notch 286, and two resilient connector strips, each resilient connector strip having an inward directed bead, an axially outboard directed bead, and a rib, wherein each resilient connector strip is resiliently secured to the segments of the segmented mating seal ring by inter-engagement of the inward directed bead and axially outboard directed bead respectively with the inward directed axial capture groove and the outboard directed radial capture groove, and resiliently secured to the mating ring adapter segments by inter-engagement of the rib with the outboard notch 286, such that the mating ring adapter segments and the segments of the segmented mating seal ring can readily be handled, installed and secured together around the rotatable shaft as connectable unitary components; an axially movable split primary seal ring assembly including a segmented primary seal ring defining a radial annular sealing face disposed in face-to-face sealing relation with said radial annular sealing face of said segmented mating seal ring; and a biasing assembly urging said radial annular sealing face of said primary seal ring into face-to-face sealing relation with said annular sealing face of said mating seal ring. a split gland plate assembly adapted to be disposed about the rotatable shaft and secured to an outboard face of the housing; a split mating seal ring assembly including a segmented mating seal ring, having two mating seal ring segments adapted to be joined together around the rotatable shaft to form an outboard facing continuous radial annular seal face the segmented mating seal ring having structure defining an inward directed axial capture groove and an outboard directed radial capture groove; a segmented mating ring adapter assembly including two mating ring adapter segments, each mating ring adapter segment having structure defining an outboard notch 286, and two resilient connector strips, each resilient connector strip having an inward directed bead, an axially outboard directed bead, and a rib, wherein each resilient connector strip is resiliently secured to the segments of the segmented mating seal ring by inter-engagement of the inward directed bead and axially outboard directed bead respectively with the inward directed axial capture groove and the outboard directed radial capture groove, and resiliently secured to the mating ring adapter segments by inter-engagement of the rib with the outboard notch 286, such that the mating ring adapter segments and the segments of the segmented mating seal ring can readily be handled, installed and secured together around the rotatable shaft as connectable unitary components; an axially movable split primary seal ring assembly including a segmented primary seal ring defining a radial annular sealing face disposed in face-to-face sealing relation with said radial annular sealing face of said segmented mating seal ring; and a biasing assembly urging said radial annular sealing face of said primary seal ring into face-to-face sealing relation with said annular sealing face of said mating seal ring.