Success! Took some heat and a few whacks...but it came out! Thing about heat - you want just enough to soften the rubber a bit - but not enough to melt it...which could leave residue behind and make the installation of a new seal difficult:
I think the pilot bearing puller was a good choice here, especially as its jaw tabs are nowhere near long enough to make contact with the ps tower casting. Here is a photo of the inner tower after pulling the seal. The bit of roughness in the lower opening is the casting itself...while the inner circumference of the walls/bed which make actual contact with the seal are smooth. Yay!
