Is Cyclone output shaft easy to remove?

[solar.g]

I've got two recumbent trikes with Cyclones that have double-freewheel adapter of my own design (to use White Industries ENO freewheel & Surly sprocket).
I also use a pair of 6000RS bearings to support the outer end of the drive shaft.
But I'm currently using a sleeved M8 bolt screwed into the end of the drive shaft for the bearings to mate to.
This is imperfect as threads are never perfect and there is slight runout between bolt and output shaft.
To make better, I'd have to remove the output shaft and get another one machined up with the bearing support extension part of same piece.
Has anyone ever removed their Cyclone's shaft from the gearbox housing (out of it's bearing)?
I see there's a circlip, but my shaft seems quite a tight fit in its bearing.
I don't want to press too hard, unless I crack the alloy gearbox housing.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[boostjuice]

...It's a prick of a job. I tried myself, even using a big-ass bench vise I couldn't budge it, so I gave up on my ceramic bearing upgrade intentions in this area. Yes, the cir-clip was removed

 

[solar.g]

I was hoping a bit of heating/cooling differential (heatgun on housing, freeze-spray on shaft) might help, but before experimenting I really want to get my hands on an old sacrificial Cyclone gearbox.
I'm not killing my working motors just to see if it works!
Anyone got an old Cyclone or just gearbox for me to try with?

 

[solar.g]

Many thanks to "mrbill", "boostjuice", & "dlogic" for taking the time to reply.
Winner's award goes to "dlogic", who shared the secret information with me:
"yes, i did take my gearbox apart. Underneath the rubber seal you will find another cir clip that has to be removed. Leaving it in place will indeed crack the aluminum casing."

thanks, Martin, you're the sort of guy that makes ES such a great resource.

Got a friend's spare gearbox apart today, got the external seal out, circlip out, shaft out, but wait! There's more circlips inside!
Got them out and finally the shaft (with one of 2 internal bearings inside firmly pressed onto it's shaft, the other quite loose inside the alloy housing).
At least now I can measure everything up and get a new, enhanced, shaft machined up to replace the original, with better-quality bearings, using Loctite to secure in place better.
All in the pursuit of a fully-supported output shaft with high quality bearings at both ends in a compact, road-slush-resistant package.
Possible now to even consider 2 one-way-clutch bearings side-by-side to double power-handling ability.
Objective is a reliable, robust, weather-resistant Cyclone mid-drive for recumbent trikes.
Photos will follow when prototyping has finished and a few more 1000km trials done.
BTW, yes, I know it's noisy, but I don't care!
Thanks all for your help.