84' VFR500 Interceptor tear-down and chop-up

Hello VFR World enthusiasts.

I am reconstructing on my 84' vfr500 interceptor and have lots of questions for you experienced bike mechanics out there.

The first question I have is how can I get my forks apart to change out the seals? I have the dust seal and lock ring out but the Clymer recommendation of compress and jerk is not working so well. I also added hot water to the equation as Clymer instructs but no success. I am tempted to put some real heat on the forks before trying again but I understand that is not the best idea according to some.

Thanks