Leaking fork seals are the biggest reason for tearing apart forks. Once you’re to the point of removing the seals themselves it can be a bit of a pain. Lots of times the seals can get stuck inside the outer tube. Here’s a great tip for removing fork seals to save you some time.
The secret to get you out of this sticky situation is heat. By applying heat you expand the metal tube around the seal letting it slide right out. Take a propane torch and heat the outer tube that surrounds the seal. I apply heat until just a tiny bit of smoke starts coming off the tube (oil residue burning off). This applies enough heat to allow the seal to release, but not too much to burn the anodizing on the tubes or the seal itself.
Take a large screwdriver and slowly pry the seal out, you’ll find that the seal will slide right out without much effort. Once you’ve cleaned and inspected the seal you can apply heat again to the tube to make it easier to install the seal.