I'm replacing all the steering parts on my '64 Skylark including a new Chevelle SS quick ratio steering box. I can't get damn Pitman arm off the old box. The nut came off easily with an air gun but the arm won't budge. I'm using an AutoZone pitman arm puller but it has a mushroomed head on the bolt (made that way not flattened out from pounding) so I can't get a breaker bar on it ( or an impact socket). Since the bolt on the puller is only 11/16 I don't have much leverage using an 11/16 wrench. Is heat the answer? Would a MAPP torch apply enough heat to loosen it up or would I need to take it to a shop with an acetylene torch? Will the heat damage the arm or make it unsafe? I'd like to reuse it since it is a 13/16" and very hard to find.
May I suggest, NO HEAT, grind bolt head on puller so socket fits, use air gun and tighten bolt, then strick with a big hammer. Good luck
Go get another tool and tell Autozone the tool was damaged when you got it. Then use a new tool and place some PB Blaster on the splines. If all else fails, since you are not going to use the original box....put a torch/MAPP to it and it will come off. Heat will not affect the metallurgy of the arm.
I agree with George. I was able to use a socket/breaker bar with the puller I borrowed from AutoZone.
I had one recently that was tight beyond belief. I had a big puller on it and the stud tightened so tight it sang a high note when struck with a big hammer. It took about 6 heat up, and cool, down penetrating oil cycles before it finally popped. I was using an acetylene torch. I couldn't believe it didn't pop the first time I put the torch to it. I was beginning to think it was welded on.uzzled: I'm normally pretty patient with these things but it was really starting to get me PO'd. Mapp may be hot enough to make it break loose so definitely try that. You're not going to hurt the arm with a Mapp torch. The nice thing about acetylene is you can get the arm hot fast before it has time to soak into the output shaft. As when using any open flame under a car, be very careful of what is in the vicinty of your flame to avoid bigger problems.
When I did mine the arm did not want to budge like anything I'd ever seen. The Autozone loaner pitman arm tool would flex and pop off. So I had the pitman arm tool on snug, with a C-clamp helping to keep it from flexing and with a good bunch of tension I gave the arm a few good whacks with the short sledge. Then it POPPED off! Tapered splines have some grab! Especially when they have not been broken loose in 40 years!
Got it off tonight. Only took one good heat cycle with the MAPP torch. It's amazing how little effort it took to turn the nut on the puller once the arm was smoking hot.
Be sure to put the pittman arm on in the same orientation. I had a car in the past where the thing was off one tooth.
I went to a Caprice 9c1 box in mine. I believe i cut the splined shaft on the box off, and then pressed it out with a bench vice. Absolutely destroyed the old box, but I got the pitman arm off unharmed.
I used the PB blaster trick. Saturated it and let it sit for an hour or so, came out and put tension on it with the pitman puller and it popped right off.
