RESOLVED - Pittman arm woes Help Please!

[78fj40mg]

Hey All,
I've being trying to remove the Pittman arm from my PS gearbox with no success, using a heavy duty gear puller, soaked it with penetrating fluids, used an impact wrench, used a 24 inch snap-on ratchet, a 2.5 pound sledge, torched it and the darn thing will not budge. Can anyone chime in with any other tricks on how to remove it?

I appreciate your help in advance!

Here's what it looks like:

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

I had to have a machine shop split mine and then use a file comb to repair the threads that I damaged. I broke two pullers trying to get it off.

 

[lostmarbles]

Hi Mike

I'm assuming you've already soaked the spline-joint area with penetrating oil for at least 24 hours.

So........

Crank up the pressure on your puller (which looks a good-enough one for the job to me by the way).

Wrap a wet rag around the housing to try and keep it cool. (And you may need to add further water to this rag if you find you need multiple attempts.)

Put a big tip on your oxy torch (or use the cutting torch) and set it to maximum heat.

Put the torch close (to give maximum heat input) to the pitman arm at the "female spine" (where it is gripping).
(You'll only be able to get the torch in to a couple of restricted areas of course due to the presence of your puller).

When you've put in a s much heat as you can - and there's a limit here .... because you don't want to heat-damage the puller or burn out the oil seal on the box.....- use a soft headed hammer to belt the end-bolt on your puller HARD.

If the arm doesn't immediately pop off, tighten the bolt on the puller further (as it should have loosened) and repeat the process.

And there can be an advantage gained by spraying penetrating oil into the mating-spline area between attempts to assist in cooling everything and to take advantage of the "heating-and-cooling" to get more pentrating oil to soak further into the spline-joint.

 

[tinnhound]

I just pulled the pitman arm off of my 77 FJ40 last week to change the oil seal, I used a snap-on puller, an impact wrench on the puller, a small welding tip on my oxy-acetylene torch. I torqued up the puller and then started giving the end of the pitman arm some heat, sparingly. I passed it over, back and forth, until it broke loose. It doesn't take much heat for it to expand a few thousands of an inch, enough for it to break free. I think your propane torch should work, it just might take longer.

 

[78fj40mg]

Thanks Tom!
I will give a shot or two with lots of heat as you kindly described above, I'm heading to my shop now and I'll report back.

 

[78fj40mg]

Thanks tinnhound for the heads up. My next step is the Snap-on CJ119B, I need to buy one but snap-on is very proud of it @ $139.95 plus shipping, I'm also looking on eBay.

I just returned from my shop, tried heat and every else Tom recommended the arm will not budge. I broke my heavy duty gear puller and also a pickle fork, I'm hoping to complete the PS install by summer time.

Wrapped shaft with wet towel

torqued with air wrench and pounded puller bolt with small hammer

broke puller, tried pickle fork and it broke, no more tools for this extraction

gear box waiting for the next arm extraction attempt we'll see what other tool I might break

 

[78fj40mg]

I had to have a machine shop split mine and then use a file comb to repair the threads that I damaged. I broke two pullers trying to get it off.

Thanks for the info.

 

[antFJ]

i've always used these and jsut let it sit over night tightened and it comes off the next day.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/o...S9ng2VB3A_FhxQDwpVioh4hoM7c11C66doaAvN48P8HAQ

 

[lostmarbles]

Heck!

A Sykes Pickavant hydraulic puller works a treat on my pitman arm (using the method I explained but without the need for multiple attempts and without breakages/damage) Mike.

Maybe yours was overtorqued on installation or perhaps the PO used Loctite on the splines?

Good luck with your subsequent attempts anyway..

(I've nothing further I can add as far as technique is concerned.)

 

[Solace in Solitude]

X2^ @antFJ - I use the same puller.

Mike: Did you see Georg's response to your other thread?

 

[78fj40mg]

Heck!

A Sykes Pickavant hydraulic puller works a treat on my pitman arm (using the method I explained but without the need for multiple attempts and without breakages/damage) Mike.

Maybe yours was overtorqued on installation or perhaps the PO used Loctite on the splines?

Good luck with your subsequent attempts anyway..

(I've nothing further I can add as far as technique is concerned.)

Thanks Tom!

 

[78fj40mg]

X2^ @antFJ - I use the same puller.

Mike: Did you see Georg's response to your other thread?

I sure did, thanks Danny!
I just broke another tool my steering wheel puller that was pretty stupid and foolish atempt, I will not give up!

 

[JohnnyC]

As others have said ... HEAT

 

[pbgbottle]

It took me two 2-3 days to get mine off also ,I wacked it for hours on the first day gave up next day tried again
Tighten puller whack it ,tighten puller wack it nothing leave it overnight puller tight penetrating oil wacked it again sledge nothing left it overnight again ,
Walked out the next morning barely wacked it and it all fell off ,done.

No heat for me I was scared to melt the seal. And didn't want to put heat to the pitman arm I thought it was a No no to heat pitman arms

 

[FARMAN33]

Made up a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF and left it overnight with the puller on it. First whack of the next morning and WHAM! I did all you did and broke the same tools. Crank it and soak it and leave it.

 

[B y r o n]

Looking at the pictures your puller may not be totally dead. Remove the pieces that keep the jaws from expanding. Put the puller in place but don't put enough tension on it to slip the jaws. Now, put a couple C-clamps on to hold the jaws from expanding; one on each side if possible. Tighten them just enough but not to put pressure on the shaft. Crank up the end bolt and give it another try. You might want to leave it tensioned over night with the shaft and arm soaked in penetrating oil. Next morning double check that it is still loaded and re-tension before giving the bolt a few good whacks with 5 lb'r if you've got one. Shock is what usually brakes them loose more than just steady tension.

 

[lcwizard]

Try two 5lb sledge hammers. Place one against the side of the pitman at the splined hole like a floating anvil and hit it hard with the other 180 degrees out. Do this a bunch of times. If you only have one hammer you can use anvil in place of the first hammer. You'll probably need someone to balance the box. The shaft is tapered so the idea is that a sharp blow straight on will compress the hole and force the arm to walk down the taper. It also helps break up any rust holding it on

 

[redrock]

Instead of destroying a p/s gearbox or mangling a $350 cross shaft, why not just slice through the pitman arm where it is stuck on the shaft with a cutoff wheel, clean up the splines, slap a new or used arm on it, and call it a day? You can find a good used arm here on Mud cheaper than buying another puller or fork. After you're done malletizing the end of the cross shaft, it will probably take a trip to the machine shop to straighten out the threads. Put enough heat on it with a torch and you'll be looking for a new box.

 

[lostmarbles]

Instead of destroying a p/s gearbox or mangling a $350 cross shaft, why not just slice through the pitman arm where it is stuck on the shaft with a cutoff wheel, clean up the splines, slap a new or used arm on it, and call it a day? You can find a good used arm here on Mud cheaper than buying another puller or fork. After you're done malletizing the end of the cross shaft, it will probably take a trip to the machine shop to straighten out the threads. Put enough heat on it with a torch and you'll be looking for a new box.

I like this... (even though I think I can judge properly how much heat is too much and judge how to hit without causing thread damage)....

 

[sggoat]

Instead of destroying a p/s gearbox or mangling a $350 cross shaft, why not just slice through the pitman arm where it is stuck on the shaft with a cutoff wheel, clean up the splines, slap a new or used arm on it, and call it a day? You can find a good used arm here on Mud cheaper than buying another puller or fork. After you're done malletizing the end of the cross shaft, it will probably take a trip to the machine shop to straighten out the threads. Put enough heat on it with a torch and you'll be looking for a new box.

This may be a viable option-you may not even need to cut comp-lately through the arm to get it to move.