Hi Black Sheep (Baaaaaa ?),
Yes I realised I could source replacement seals the same size as those I took out, and at very low cost. My concern is that they are not the right fit on the stanchions. At 32mm, they're 0.3mm bigger than those intended for the 1.248" stanchions. That means the lip is not squeezed onto the stanchion's surface as hard as intended and that's bound to compromise sealing both in and out. I have lots of grit removed from the oil as testament to what got past the seals going in, and oil in the seal holders as evidence of oil like that leaked out.
If the stanchions are machined well to provide smooth, gradual transitions to the slightly larger clamped diameters, there should be no damage from assembling the holders from the top. However, the examples I have were not.
It's all a learning curve.
R