Dana 44 pinion seal measurments

I have a bit of problem. I managed to get a 6' length of barbed wire wrapped around the yoke on my Dana 44. I didn't notice it for a couple hours and it managed to wear the housing down. According to the mechanic I had to have do the work a new seal would not seat fully. There appears to be about 1/4" of seal sticking out. He installed three screws to hold the seal in.

So, does anyone happen to know the depth of the recess in the housing were the seal goes? I am hoping to find an alternative to replacing the entire diff. Either a different size seal or something. Also open to suggestions.

I have a Dana 44 apart right now. I'll measure from the lip to the outer pinion bearing race tonight and post tomorrow.

The seal rides on a lip and should be flush with the housing when installed properly.

Turns out the entire lip on which the seal should be flush is gone. There goes a perfectly good Dana 44.:hang:

The seal support is not really structural. I would remove the axle, point the pinion upright, degrease what is left of the seal mounting with spray starter fluid, then get some commercial quality structural adhesive like machinist's use. Heck, even JB Weld. Then you glue the seal in the housing. Allow it to cure 24 hours before inserting the pinion. People laugh, but we drill and tap structural adhesive all the time. Done right, the adhesive won't even see any oil. It simply has to hold the seal in place and keep it from leaking.

Post up a picture.