Thanks to all who gave practical tips on the hub nut problem. I ground the SC
Parts 8-sided nut down 3/16" all around and it fit the nut much squarer.
Instead of a ratchet used in the am (which twisted the socket a bit), I used a
2-ft long tapered round bar and was able to recruit a helper to torque as I
shouldered the socket against the nut. Not a bad job.
The removal of the hub was pretty straightforward, although there was some
binding where one of the hubs had been pressed in by an earlier pull with a
bearing puller.
The insertion of the oil seal into the seat is as some of you said, a bit of a
hassle. I improvised a suitable tool to press it in by using an expended
propane cylinder and tapping on it until the neck caved in, then seated it
squarely over the empty hub. Using a 5# hammer, I was able to make an
impression of the step in the hub in the bottom of the cylinder, and then was
able to use this to gently (well, almost gently) tap the seal into place. Lots
of grease helps.
Getting the bearings back into place also requires patience, and I found it
helpful to use a block of hardwood to prevent damage tapping it into place. If
you get the bearing slightly askew, it will bind in the hub, and it is best, I
learned, to tap it partly back out with a large socket to realign it.
It took me about 8 hours to do the whole rework with cleaning, brakes etc.
Thanks again to all who advised.
allen
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