As far as the epoxy goes, I just put a thin layer on the endbell then slide it back into the can. You really can't hurt anything. just be sure to only use a small amount.

First time I epoxyed mine it only lasted about a month. The second time it stuck really really good.

Btw, I tried tapping on the shaft to get the end bell off, at a point I felt like I was going to damage something so I had to take off the shaft side end thingy.