Doug is right (Oooh That hurt to say ), mine were corroded on and had 30 years of mud caked behind them.
The key was getting them started enough to be able to break the corrosive bond and then clear all the crap out. They are a pretty tight fit anyway so additional paint on the shock may worsen taking them off. I used lots of heat to swell the Al a little and a narrow wedge to pry them up from the lower seat.
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