It’s out! I tapped the seal a few extra quarter turns. Screwed in a 3" (for easy reach to the seal) 3/8-16 bolt until it was tight. From the top of the housing, used a punch placed inside the shift rod hole, started swinging half arcs with the mallet to dislodge the seal from its bore. It took 4 tries before it popped loose. Corrosion is noticeable at both ends of the seal. The o-ring is hard as a rock. Thank you everyone for your posts!
Picture of the tools I used to get the blooming thing out. Not pictured 23/64 bit & drill.
