[mrlaser]

Well once again Ford Barn members have ridden to the rescue. The screwdriver technique did the trick after a few tries. I found that the ring tended to drop back into the groove when repositioning the screwdriver and the output shaft in the vice. I found that I could put a short awl in the groove under the displaced ring which allowed me to reposition the screwdriver without having the ring snap back into the groove. I also have soft jaw covers for the vise which prevented any damage to the shaft. If I had a 3rd hand a simple picture would likely provide a much clearer explanation. I must say that I have never had this much difficulty with a snap ring.