Somebody knows the answer

[cdavisdb]

Finally getting to fixing the leak in my power steering ram and its stuck. I've done this job before and it was easy to remove the ram from the engine (volvo 5.7 gsi, 1998). There are two cotter pin secured pins in the end of the ram that attach it to the drive's steering arm. One is stuck. I've soaked it in blaster, used a c-clamp like a press to push it out of the hole, hit it with a hammer, cussed a lot, still stuck. The steering arm that the pin goes through moves freely, so the stuckness must be where the stainless pin goes through the aluminum housing of the ram( a great place for corrosion) I've always kept the area well treated with corrosion block and don't see any sign of corrosion at all, but it does get salt water on it.

Any suggestions?

[FLexpat]

heat the whole area with a propane torch - not extremely hot cause you don't want to weaken it - immediately put an ice cube on the stainless (and not the aluminum) for a minute or so then hit it with a hammer. Aluminum thermal expansion being much more than the stainless should work in your favor. It may take a couple of trys. Obviously, first make sure nothing else around to burn or explode.
edits: first put a wet rag around the shaft to the cylinder and on the cylinder itself - you don't want to melt the seals. And wait for a better solution first - this is more of a last resort.

[Bushwacker]

Connor - you might try some Kroil penetrating oil http://www.kanolabs.com/penLub.html#anchor173855. Better than PB blaster and best stuff I've ever used on seized fasteners. Give it a day or so to soak in after applying. A test engineer friend of mine who had a side business overhauling turbochargers discovered it and got Pratt & Whitney to start using it where seizing/oxidation of fasteners exposed to temperatures of 1200-1400F was a big problem! GFS used it to get his OB trim & tilt assembly apart when nothing else worked. A top notch hardware store may carry it, or you can order it direct or from Eastwood. Denny

[wattaway2]

Heat then more blaster and repeat

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

Connor - you might try some Kroil penetrating oil http://www.kanolabs.com/penLub.html#anchor173855. Better than PB blaster and best stuff I've ever used on seized fasteners. Give it a day or so to soak in after applying. A test engineer friend of mine who had a side business overhauling turbochargers discovered it and got Pratt & Whitney to start using it where seizing/oxidation of fasteners exposed to temperatures of 1200-1400F was a big problem! GFS used it to get his OB trim & tilt assembly apart when nothing else worked. A top notch hardware store may carry it, or you can order it direct or from Eastwood. Denny

Oh, the horror. Yes, I turned a 10" brass drift into a cigar butt in a month of Sundays with
a 3 pound sledge and 2 jumbo tanks of mapp gas. I finally got it with an air hammer.

Is there any way to get good backing on it to hold it hard and get an air hammer on it?
I must have done 200 soak, heat , and beat cycles. All the pros said you can`t do it without O/A. Never again.

Only mushroom one side of the pin...

[CaptLloyd]

CRC makes a product called Freeze-Off. If heat doesn't work, you can try the opposite approach. I've used it with some success.

Good luck.

Lloyd

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by CaptLloyd

CRC makes a product called Freeze-Off. If heat doesn't work, you can try the opposite approach. I've used it with some success.

Good luck.

Lloyd

Used that as well. The copper C clips were my first clue. BRP denied the battery.
Really? Salt can make you feel really small.

O/A

[FishStretcher]

I might suggest spraying brake cleaner with the little pipe to clear corrosion products out, then hit it with diet coke or naval jelly and a sonicaire toothbrush to rattle the cotter pin when surrounded by phosphoric acid.

Just a guess, but it is easy to try.

Actually just reread the text- it seems you have the cotter pins out?

If that is the case, then I vote for kroil. Hit it with non chlorinated brake cleaner to get out the PB blaster and spray kroil and let it work overnight.

[FishStretcher]

One more thing. I haven't tried it but my marine mechanic friend swears by it for stuck bolts: a 9v battery. Not sure why, but he says it works well. Not sure which side to aluminum vs stainless. He thinks it is heating at the joint that does it but swears it works. So go tear apart a 1980s era tv remote for the battery adapter. Or hit radio shack.

[cdavisdb]

Thanks very much to all.

cotter pins came out easy.

I'll be getting some Kroil's and a torch next, very carefully. The damm pin goes through the aluminum housing in two layers, I can get to one but not the other.

The 9v sounds interesting. I can see how that could work, if you get the polarity right. Will do some research.