2013 Prius Rear Main Seal

You can check with Toyota about this. But, if it was there, (behind the seal), you should
reinstall it.

PS: Does the metal ring fit inside the seal? Or the outside of the ring?

 

When I pulled my seal out on my factory 2013 block I didn't see this maybe it stayed in the seal like it supposed to what happened to yours You pulled it out and beat it to death or the seal popped out with the lady slipper or the seal remover properly and this was just laying there behind it? You tell me if it was just laying there behind it make sure it's orientation is correct and see if it fits in the new seal I think it's a steel stiffening plate keeps the seal round which it will stay round but it helps it from the lip getting pushed in too far or something along those lines I think it's supposed to stay in the seal If you look at your parts breakdown for the rear main seal it shows just the seal and no plate then if you were to get the Toyota seal that piece would be inside the seal FellPro or aftermarket people may think that's not needed and that's okay for them to think that because rear main seals has been like that for a long time The stiffener plate made me a Toyota design or a seal manufacturer's design that doesn't have to be if you want it go look at what Toyotas giving you at the parts counter It's a generation 3 so I don't do a lot of looking on these I wouldn't think that would make any difference at all personally in the general concept of the rear main seal which on Toyota's never go bad even the ones built like other round similar lip seals look at ones that go in other cars they don't have that plate generally maybe some newer ones do maybe that's how they're making the seal now and that just fell out when you pry the seal out

 

When I look at the felpro rear main seal for your car it doesn't even look that thick or that wide the circle where that metal plate fits on that seal felpro and other branded seals aren't even that thick and they're made out of a metal ring with the rubber on the inside of the metal ring to run on the seal where is the Toyota sealed or this one in the picture looks to be rubber over thin metal with that piece of metal going inside of the bottom of the seal Just looks like two different ways to manufacture maybe I would be interesting and seeing what Toyota provides at the parts counter or in the head gasket kit with the rear main seal and all of that stuff included fel pro doesn't fool around I've been using them a long time I mean like since the late '60s and I've used their PT head gaskets in my Toyota since 1970 something all the way up until last year I don't do a lot of gas getting work on modern engines are usually throwaways these days.

 

Where did you buy the new seal from? Here it looks like the metal plate is included. Double check the part number is correct though: Buy Genuine Toyota 9031176002 (90311-76002) Seal, Engine Rear Oil. Prices, fast shipping, photos, weight - Amayama

 

And so I guess when you're ordering from Toyota you're not talking to a human you're just banging numbers on the keyboard and ordering I haven't been over to the Toyota dealer in a while but I can call my buddy Thomas and he can advise so now that piece of metal you have that came out of your vehicle fits nicely into that brand new seal without deforming or messing up the seal in any way it drops right in there Yes or no If no then don't use it It's been updated and revamped If it drops right in there put it in there in the same direction it was facing when you pulled it out initially and let it rip It certainly can't hurt anything It's only sitting to the side of the lip It doesn't ever contact anything that rotates everything rotating and whatnot is in the lip this is just a stiffener plate that mates up to the aluminum part of the block and the seal housing extension the part it beats into or drops into That's what I would do on my own personal engine I don't remember seeing this in my 2013 Persona engine and I pulled that all the way down to the crank and then took all the parts to metal recycling after I didn't use any of it I honestly don't I would have made a note of that because I just would have so more than likely they just updated the seal because none of my older lip seal have a frame or stiffener piece like that in any vehicle that I have or worked on I have a few rear mains down in the shop that came out of different kits for different vehicle similar sizes none of them have that stiffener piece oh well

 

The SMART thnig to do is go to a Toyota dealership, and ask them.
All this second hand info means nothing.