The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk It Won't Come Off!

Try heat-Did mine a few months back-tried two different pullers-no dice...Heat ..no dice..finally cut a slot in it with a cut off tool and bought another pitman fo $10 bucks on ebay..Be carful of cutting the threads thou..delicate

Good luck

Keith

Heat it up pretty good with the puller as tight as you can get it, leave the nut on a bit so when it comes loose it won't fly across the garage. Just as you get it as hot as you dare (red but to red) hit the end of the puller with a big hammer to knock it loose. Remember to only heat the arm and don't cool to fast. Joe

If you want to keep it why take it off?
Check the archives, this subject has come through here several times.

Try a bigger hammer!!


Or have you tried to use some liquid wrench or other type of pentrating oil. Also I wouldn't heat it until it is red. At that point the metal grows soft and if it is as stuck on as hard as it sounds it will more then likely bend or deform as you pull. Plus everytime you heat metal you add fatigue if you only have to do this once you won't loose enough structul integrity to be noticed. But something heated and cooled several times will begin to degrade its strengths so be careful and do only it as few times as possible.

Congratulations on a great decision. Good luck with the restore.

Pitman arm pullers are massive things, and are purpose-built for the job. Find a shop or a parts store that's got one, and rent it. Most of them have some sort of collar or other device to keep the puller jaws from spreading out while you're turning the jackscrew. I use a 3/4" drive impact wrench on mine, and it has trouble removing some of them.
Jerry

Be careful when you heat it and put the puller on it,it might jump off and burn your arm!!Don't ask me how I know.
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Floyd

I've had good luck by heating it, but not even close to red hot. When you get it warmed up good spray it with some penetrating oil, you need to be careful because some sprays will ignite and start on fire for a second or two. After it cools some hit the pitman arm on the sides a few times. Then do it a couple more times. I've had good luck with this technique with things that are rusted and won't come loose. I've used this on brake lines with great success also.

Good Luck
Don

I suggest that you try the puller again using an impact gun. You would be suprised what a difference they can make. The shock of the impacting can jar it loose. I founmd this was helpful when I was taking the damper off.

Loctite has a new product out. Dont remember the name but it shock freezes the part to let the lubricant get inbetween the two parts. I have not used the product but have heard about it.


Good luck
Brian

I have had the best luck removing pitman arms and tie rod ends using two hammers. Use one large hammer (8 lb sledge) as a backup and hit directly across from the big hammer with a smaller hammer (2 lb machinist hammer). Work your way around the circumference of the pitman arm as much as possible. Go around the arm two or three times and try the puller. If you have no luck, repeat the procedure. Anything with a tapered shaft is easily removed using this procedure. I have removed several pitman arms in junkyards using this procedure with no torch and it works.

Just heat in one spot. this will expand the outer without heating the inner which is what you want. You also could use a little luck.