Starter Rebuild Troubles

[KyleMCMXC]

I have another thread going on here talking about getting my bike back up and running, but I don't think anyone is checking back on it.  I'm in the middle of rebuilding the starter right now and I have a few issues.  On the bright side, This thing isn't as complicated as I thought and with this, I've reached a new (albeit low) level of motorcycle maintenance ability.

My problems:
1. I can't get the old oil seal (the one that fails) out of the starter.  I've tried prying it out like the guide says and got nothing.  I tried using a socket wrapped in a rag to (gently) tap it out with the bearing from the other side and that didn't work either.  Any other suggestions?  I guess if all else fails maybe I should go try to find a local machine shop that has some kind of press that can do this?

2. Another user in my other thread told me that I need to make sure the teeth on the planetary gears match up exactly or I could ruin the starter.  I didn't know I had to keep track of which teeth they sat in when I took it apart so I can only guess.  He says I should feel that it's easier to turn when they're in the right position.  I just don't see how this can be since these gears as well as the planetary gear are uniform and exactly round...how could this cause an issue?  If they do need to be exact...any ideas how I can easily figure that out?

[QBS]

Experiment by setting the planets up so that their centers are NOT directly across from each other, with the sun right in the middle between them.  Note how dificult, if not impossible it is to rotate the output shaft with your hand.  Now, move the planets as close as visually possilbe to be directly across from each other, with the sun in the center between them.  Now, try to spin the output shaft with your hand.  You should feel a significant difference between the two setups.  The closer that the planet centers are to being directly across the Sun center from one another,  the easier it should be to turn the output shaft.  Note that operating the starter motor with even one ring gear tooth out of position will permanently damage the Planetary Gearbox, AND...the output shaft will, to the inexperienced hand, feel that it is spinning freely.  Move the planets around until you find positioning that yields the easiest spin.  Run a sharp straight edge from planet center to planet center and see if the edge doesn't pass through the Sun center.

[PwrManDan]

Have you looked at these instructions by chance?

http://ridersofvision.net/Technical/Starter/starter.html

[KyleMCMXC]

Have you looked at these instructions by chance?

http://ridersofvision.net/Technical/Starter/starter.html

Yup, those were the instructions I was following.  I ended up taking it to a friends and having him lean on the edge of the nose cone while I got the biggest flat head screw driver he had and leaned my weight on it and finally it popped out.

[Jimustanguitar]

I *think* I still have 1 or 2 of those replacement seals sitting around. Shoot me a PM (so I get an email, since I don't check the board very often) if you need one.

[The Prophet of Doom]

The best way to get the end bearing out is to fill it full of grease and then gently hammer a  backwards drill bit  (metric ! 10mm  I think from memory - it has to be a close fit) into it.  It will pop straight out..