My left side transaxle seal has been leaking transmission fluid for a while now and filling it up is quite a pain and expensive.

So I finally got to replacing it and after laboring with the ball joint for quite a while I finally won it over. I thought I had reached victory when I got the axle shaft out of the tranny... but wait... this seal.... it's STUCK!
I've never seen a seal so difficult to get it! I've tried prying from inside, I've tried getting in around the outer edge.... this thing will not budge.

It's so frustrating!!

Is there some secret tool or technique you need to use to get this thing out??
I plugged the hole with a rag and PB Blastered around the seal. I don't know if that's going to work. UGH... I wasn't expecting this.

 

After tapping a flat screw driver into the edge of the seal and using a blade to open cut in around the edge I finally got it off after about an hour.

Replaced the seal, had trouble at first getting the hub back onto the strut. Used a jack and it helped a LOT.

Here's the funny part....

At the very end after I got the shaft in all the way and was underneath cleaning up... I noticed the shaft was in farther than it was before.

So after all that with replacing the seal I think I only needed to push the shaft back in farther... Orlando MINI sucks.

 

HAHA, I feel confident in saying everything in Orlando sucks.

Glad you go it fixed.