....its stuck! Ive torn the original seal trying to remove it & no amount of prying, pulling or cussin' works! :tapemouth

The Haynes manual suggests removing the entire rear transmission housing but before I go down that path, does anyone have any suggestions or past experience to go by?

Put a large flat screwdriver across the diameter of the seal with the flat end inside right up to the inside edge of the seal, rest the other end against the tranny housing, give the screwdriver handle a sharp hand blow and it should pop out.

Nope! The seal just tore, leaving the bulk of the seal behind.........

Be very careful not to drag the edge of the screwdriver across the inside of the tranny housing, or it'll never seal again! That surface needs no gouges. One more thing you can try is to drill a couple self tapping screws into the rubber frame of the seal and pull with a couple pair of vise-grips. It ain't pretty but it works. Guy