Why would you bother?

Seals don't seem to seal against low-viscosity fluids such as fuel but neither do shields.

Whichever way you look at it, leaving the seals on a front-bearing is a good idea and at worst, can't hurt at all.

If the seals *do* seal then the grease will provide life-long lubrication. If the seals don't seal then the engine will provide lubrication by way of the oil that slips past the seals.

Wasn't that what we were trying to figure out in the first place whether to pull the seals or not?

The answer is obviously no.