Ok, on my 04 SP400, I had a leak in my hub, looked to be the rear seal by the disc brake. Read all I could find on this board and seemed to be an easy enough job. Went out and bought the new seal, removed the hub and for the life of me I can't get the old seal out. Everyone says to just heat it up and pry it out. This thing won't budge. Any tricks out there? I've got parts all over my garage and really want to get this put back together. Can anyone please help? The frustration level is building quickly!!

Thanks.

 

You heated that hub up w/ a torch pretty good? Heat it til it's too hot to touch then carefully pry it out without damaging the surface of the seal cavity.

 

Changing the seal is not a huge deal. If I read this correctly, you have the hub off and heated it up with no success. This should not require tons of force, it collapses during extraction.

Here's a few thought for what they are worth.
When assembled, the seal is bottomed against the hub itself. There is very little gap if any to get a tool between the seal flange and the hub itself. I have a tool that looks like a double ended meat hook that you can simply insert into the seal area so it grabs the inner edge of the seal casing or lip and pry that puppy out, it's not a big deal. Try your local ADAP or other parts store for this extraction device.

When you reassemble it, make sure you put the seal in the right way (I goofed once) and it's bottommed out all the way. On my Sportsman I needed to replace the steel liner this seal runs against. There was a groove worn from the dirt, too lazy to fit it right away. That's a different situation, need to be careful on that repair.

Go to JC Whitney to see if they have a good picture of the tool, it's made for pulling seals. When you go to put it back in use a piece of brass that has a nice square end. Tap the edges only so you don't dent the casing.

Good Luck,
Gene

 

WHAT DID YOU HEAT!!!!!!
MAN YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HEAT A HUB SEAL TO GET IT OUT.
Are you talking the inner front hub seal. if so just go get a automotive type seal puller to get it out.
Also check out your hub seal sleeve on the knuckle see if it has two grooves in it, if it does your new seal will still leak untill you replace it also.
i just went through all that on my brothernlaws 2001 500 ho.
the sleeve is very tricky to do but cam be done. all the dealers around columbus ohio will not touch the hub seal sleeve they want you to buy a whole new knuckle.

 

Actually heating the hub softens the paint/sealant on the outside of the old seal, making it easier to come out, besides expanding the hub a little.

The dealers that want to replace the whole assembly are making more profit off of selling the part and not having to put out as much in labor - they make $80-90 off a whole assembly vs. about $15 off a new sleeve. When you go to a dealer - it's all about the $$.

 

You should NEVER heat a cast piece of metal ( ie the hub). if you get it to hot it could weaken and possabily shatter under the right conditions! just a word of advise.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Tried for another hour or so yesterday but could not get that damn thing out, so will take it to the shop today.