Hey All, I wonder if there is a trick or a tool needed to remove the power steering box from the pitman arm attached to the relay rod. The pitman shaft coming out of the bottom of the box is toothed and acts like its frozen to the pitman arm. My old shop manual makes reference to "Tool J-5504-B" or a "similar puller" to separate them. I've got is soaking in PB Blaster penetrating catalyst right now. I wonder if I can rent/buy a pickle fork big enough to pound them apart? Any ideas? The car is my '57 Olds 98 4 door hardtop. Thanks!

 

I use a gear puller to remove the pitman arm from the sector shaft.

 

You can rent a pitman arm puller from autozone.

 

Ummmmm... To remove a pitman arm, you use a pitman arm puller.

You can "rent" one for free from your local chain auto parts store.

You will never get it off if the steering box is not attached to the car.

You will almost definitely need to heat the pitman arm with a torch (MAPP is okay, but will require persistence), but it will come off.

The Pitman arm is connected with a tapered spline, and should have absolutely no play, and be very tight.

- Eric

 

Pitman arm puller ,like others posted.

 

Like Eric said the steering box has to mounted to the frame or it will never come off.

 

Thanks to all for your direction! I'll check with AutoZone to rent the puller.

 

I bought one of these decades ago and have used it many times since.



Also be aware that you will need a very large socket to get the nut off the pitman arm shaft. I use an impact wrench, but I've done it with a breaker bar and a lot of cussing.

 

Oh, a final detail:

The last time I "rented" one of these, the unit had a round "cap" above the hex, which prevented placement of a socket on the screw, leaving an open-end wrench as the only option (the threaded section was too large compared to the hex to fit a flare-nut wrench).
I tried to use it with an open-end wrench, with predictable results. In fact, once I had it as tight as the open end wrench would get it, I was unable to loosen it to remove it, so I had to reach up to where the puller was hanging off of the steering box with my 4" grinder, and "eliminate" the cap portion, so that I could use a hex socket with a 2' breaker bar, which got the arm off just fine.
I used a black felt-tip marker to color the shiny parts of the hex black before I returned it, and had no problems (actually, the guy didn't even look in the box).

- Eric

 

I appreciate the picture, Joe. Always good to know what I'm asking for! I'll try to avoid a round capped one, Eric. I ended up using a large pipe wrench to get the nut off the shaft. Apparently cussing is a universal part of the process!

 

My puller also has the rounded capped end. I just on screwed it all the way then slipped a box end wrench over the threaded shaft then re installed it on to the puller. Now my box end wrench couldn't fall off. Then I put a pipe over the wench for a cheater. It popped right off. I actually did destroy the first puller with an open ended wrench, cresent wrench, vise grips and eventually a pipe wrench.