The way your luck is going it will probably shatter like a frozen hot dog in science class.

 

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Can't you adjust the air to fuel ratio on those torches?

 

not on a propane torch.....there only good for sweating copper together. Oxy/acetalyne torches can be adjusted.

Steve....you're going to need an Oxy/acetalyne torch to get enough heat on that arm. A friend of mine and I tried to pull a hitch ball out of reciever mount and had to use a torch. We used pipe wrenches and 8 foot cheater pipes to losen it up. The nut glowed for about 2-3 minutes AFTER we had it removed. That SOB was HOT.

 

what the hell is the point in having it on there that tight?

how much is a new pitman arm? my sawsall may get the call...

 

Sawzall is mighty bulky, what about a die grinder with a cut off wheel, lots easier to control.
Or a Mapp gas torch if oxy/acetalene isn't available, (Mapp gas burns hotter than propane)

 

It is designed with a "semi-Locking taper" Reason is, try to imagine how much that arm is constantly moveing while you are driveing and theextreme forces being put on it. If it were just held on with a nut, it would work it's self loose in no time!!

And I though the whole point of you removing it was to install a steering system? Are you not replacing the pitman arm?

 

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hey guys they are not really that hard to get off. get a true pitman arm puller. and like the other guys said heat the arm only then as fast as you can start pulling on it with the puller using an impact on it to apply enough pressure to the puller if it does not come yet. with the puller still under pressure take and hit on the end of the pullers bolt head hard a few times sometimes this helps alot or take and hit on the side of the pitman arm while there is still pressure from the puller. and to be honest have never broken a pitman arm puller and have done quite a few sector seals on the steering gear. and yes they do get tight with the wedge style design that holds them on but then again you would not want this thing falling off or coming loose a t 70 plus mph going down the road either . let me know if any help

 

Steve, go to Autozone or Adavance Auto (whatever your local parts store is.) I rented a pitman arm puller for $20.00 and never brought it back.

Second thing you do is go to Home Depot and buy a tank of MAPP gas. They are usually yellow. Don't worry about changing orifices.

Put the puller on and apply about 30 ft/lbs of torque. Now use the MAPP gas to heat the pitman arm from the outside only. Don't even get near the sector shaft. That gas needs a few mins to work. As soon as that arm expands, it will come right off.

Here are my PERSONAL suggestions.....lol. Nothing more.

Make sure you are not in the line of fire when the arm falls. It won't rocket off there unless you preload the ***** off that puller.

As soon as that arm falls of, hit the sector shaft with a garden hose, or just douse it in a bucket of cold water that you can submerge theshaft in. That shaft won't get that hot anyway. The arm will but not the shaft.

Before you reinstall any thing, strap on some goggles and wire brush, or dremmel the snot out of the sector shaft and the inside of the pitman arm. I wasteas manybrushes as neededwith a dremmel just to get down to bare metal. That tool is worth it's weight in gold. And I buy bulk brushes from this dude on Ebay.

Then I cake the snot out of the shaft and the arm with Anti Sieze. It will bolt on easy as can be.

The trick is you have to let the MAPP gas do it's job. It just takes a little longer than a cutting torch. Propane could never get you where you needed to be...lol

I guarantee it will work. If not, I will fly in and remove it myself.

Keep us updated.

Good luck with that ride.