@trenchfoot here you go.
John did some research and he was prepared when we reconvened at the excavator today. He had the nut loose before I could see the process, I was moving equipment out of the way. He just couldn't wait!
He borrowed a Swench model 1000 from another mobile mechanic.
That thing is incredible. It has a big spring in it and a 3-lobed impact hammer piece that gets loaded up with spring force as you swing it 30 degrees. Then it releases BAM! Up to 2000 ft lb of impact force. It took 4 hits of that to knock the nut loose with no drama, no breaker bars, heat, crazy hammering or energy. Just pull the handle and it delivers impact blows on jobsites with no air. It works underwater.
https://www.powerhawk.com/swench
It was made by the Curtiss-Wright aircraft company. The design has been sold to powerhawk and Snap-On is the dealer.
I picture it getting used on big radial engines to get the prop off. You can also find videos of it taking helicopter bearings apart.
I wish it was fun and games after getting it apart. It was not.
The ducone seals are really a PITA to get seated for assembly. It has this gigantic O-ring that provides all the sealing force to the two mating sintered iron faces. Each side is identical.
The taper or cone that the O-ring sits in rusts up and requires wire brushing, and then the fun begins. You have to work it in carefully or it pops off the inside of the ring, or pops back out. The old O-ring was broken on one side.
Timken tapered roller bearings.
It was easy to drive in the races and we heated up the inner bearing to get it on the shaft.
That is the seal pocket above the race.