Patent ID: 7870654

Claim:
A method for assembling a mechanical seal device for providing a seal between a bore disposed in a seal housing and a shaft extending through said bore, said mechanical seal device comprising: a pair of seal rings including a first seal ring having an engagement portion at an outer circumferential surface thereof; a retainer ring having a first support portion and a second support portion and being fixed with said shaft, said first support portion supporting said first seal ring, said second support portion engaging said engagement portion disposed at the outer circumferential surface of said first seal ring to be locked with each other in a rotational direction; and a gasket made of an elastic material and disposed between said first support portion of said retainer ring and said first seal ring, wherein only said gasket is disposed between said retainer ring and said first seal ring and said gasket joins said first support portion and said first seal ring, said gasket being in a fixed contact relation with said first support portion and said first seal ring, said method comprising the steps of: attaching said gasket to the first support portion of the retainer ring from a fixing portion in order to bring the gasket into fitting contact with the first support portion; and engaging said first seal ring to said retainer ring by press fitting a inner diameter surface of said first seal ring into a fit surface of a fitting portion of said gasket 4 , in a condition where said second support portion of said retainer ring is engaged to said engagement portion of said first seal ring, an engagement clearance (C) formed in a rotational direction between an engagement end portion of said second support portion and an engagement wall of said engagement portion is within 0.5 mm, and an opposite clearance formed in an opposite direction of the rotational direction between said second support portion and said engagement portion is larger than said engagement clearance (C).