Abstract: A mechanical seal construction for use between a wall and a shaft extending through the wall and rotatable relative thereto, the seal construction comprising a seal assembly which includes a pair of seal elements having mutually engaging sealing faces, one seal element being fixed with respect to the wall and the other seal element being rotatable in response to rotation of the shaft, the seal assembly having an inner annular member operatively engaged with the stationary seal element and having a radially outwardly facing surface, at least three, generally equally spaced hemispherical recesses being formed in the surface, a fixed outer annular member in surrounding relationshp to the inner annular member, the outer annular member having at least three equally spaced, axially extending grooves, each of the receses having received therein a ball having a radius substantially equal to the radius of the recess, each of the balls projecting into a respective one of the grooves to prevent relative rotation between