I Bent A Pickle Fork!!! How Can I Get This Joint Apart?

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Sep 1, 2006
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Tampa Bay Area
Well, I was trying to change out the leaky steering box on my Cutlass today, but I wound up bending the tines of the pickle fork (ball joint separator) trying to get the pitman arm and center link apart. I have used this pickle fork several times before, and have probably owned it for 20 years and have never had this happen. I was also the one who installed the old steering box too (from a 88 Trans Am GTA), so I wonder just why it is so damn tight? Any ideas?
 
first use lots of PBlaster on the bolt side, make sure your wheels are center, now if you want to keep your center link use a separator, if you want to buy a new one use a 3 pound hammer on it. advanced auto can order a new center link for about 30 bucks
 
I have used those pullers with the jaws with some degree of luck
 
I have seen them stick on some of the cars over the years. If it won't pop out with the fork and some WD then it's time for some heat. Centre link will end up needing replacement afterwards because I tend to either melt or rip the boot from either the torch or the fork plus all the pounding can't be very good for the joint itself.
 
Well, I got it off with a tool I borrowed from my neighbor. It was a claw type puller with a screw to push it with. It looks like a smaller variant of the typical pitman arm puller. Anyhow, I got the new box in along with a new steering shaft, and my new MCSS box has play in it that won't adjust out. The other box didn't have play, but it leaked like a sieve. The new box was a rebuilt unit I found in a junkyard. After about 4 hours of struggle, I am a little pissed and a lot exhausted.
 
what was the cause of the leak in your old box?...maybe you could repair you old box and reinstall it.
 
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