Abstract: A face seal assembly for preventing leakage of fluid around a rotating shaft of a machine, including a housing in the form of an annular U-shaped trough open at one end and closed at the other end. An annular seal element fits into the housing and is biased outwardly by a spring toward the open end into engagement with a mating ring. The seal element is held in the housing during assembly or servicing of the machine by two spring latch mechanisms which each include a formed spring fastened in a channel. The two spring mechanisms are welded to the inner face of the outer wall of the housing at diametrically opposed positions. The annular seal element has a notch in its outer circumferential wall on opposed diametrical sides to enable the seal element to fit snugly with the housing, with the channels received within the notches.