Cathead, steep drop to the lake??
Texas - this was the second time rebuilding the damper (the methods used 1st time are too embarrassing to admit) so I didn't have any problems with loctite, but the tool made opening the damper a breeze. If you promise to send it back (although I hope never to have to use it again ) I'll pop it in the post. It wasn't hard to make but there are always other things on the list for sure.
yes, they are truly a royal b!tch to work on, that's for sure. I had to put my fork in the oven to get the air sleeve out (former owner had smashed the valve for some reason) so I went through the bearing nightmare too. I found a tutorial online which showed using a piece of inner tube with the valve to make an inflatable sausage to hold the bearing races in place while the fork was slipped back into the head tube. I broke the end off one of the bearings but it's been fine for the last 6 years.
PM me your address and I'll stick the castle nut tool in the post.
Oh, and make a trough long enough to stick the whole damper in. Fill it with fork oil (I used 5wt motorbike fork oil) and then submerge the damper fully. Move the damping rod back and forth a few times with it submerged and you'll get all the air out of the damper. Might also be worth changing the piston and top cap o-rings while you're in there, mine ate themselves last year hence the 2nd reassembly. Been great since though.
no worries, glad you got it all sorted out