Moss Motors, Ltd

Kamm-

For tight fits with rubber gaskets a little dish detergent can work as a good lubricant to get the part in place.

LCJUTILA 

Liquid soap does help.

I would recommend also boiling the gasket in water for a few minutes. This will make the rubber very soft and pliable. Install it as soon as you can handle it.

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On their death bed, nobody ever said, "Gee I wish I'd spent more time at work!"

'68 Sprite 1275
'76 Midget 1500

Kamm-

To pull the gasket through the hole you can wrap a piece of string in its groove. Then take the end of the string and put it through the space you want the gasket to go through. Get the gasket as close to installed as possible and slowly pull on the string. As the string unwinds from the groove it will pull the remaining part of the gasket through the hole! This is the same method as used to install windshield gaskets.

Hope it works!

LCJUTILA 

I believe the filler pipe on your car is separate from the tank. This being the case, undo the clamp and withdraw the pipe from the car. Install the grommet, and reinstall the filler pipe, finally clamping it into place.

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon

Ok so I tried all of the ideas and I particularly like the string idea. I will definitely use that one in the future. However there is no way that this tank lid neck/nipple is going inside the grommet when it is in the hole. So after a bout 2 hours of fighting it I made an executive descision. You hard core perfectionists should cover your ears or eyes. I made the grommet a gasket if you know what I mean. The idea is to prevent water from getting into the trunk and I accomplished that.