I have been trying to seperate the Center link from the Pitman arm for almost 4 hours now. Can someone help me through. Its getting cold as the garage is open and the car is half in. I have been peating at it wih a pickle fork and mini sledge to try and seperate it. I have an adjustable pitman arm puller and it does not bite on the top of the pitman arm to allow me to screw the shaft in to the center link bolt. This is why I have been beating the piss out of it. I have also drown it in WD40. This is on the driverside BTW. I am depressed beyond belief that I have the passenger side to go yet. Any ideas how to seperate them? PLEASE HELP ME.

Pickle forks are crap. They always end up ripping the boot, which can be hard to find on it's own without the entire joint.

I personally use a standard two prong pulley puller. Works great on ball joints.

In the past what I've done is to thread the nut off the end of the joint, and then use a jack to apply pressure to the joint. A lot of pressure. Then smack the side of the rod. Should pop out with a bang. Of course I usually do this on the lower ball joint (Acuras), so I'm not sure how much pressure should be applied to the pitman arm before you cause it to bend.

Pickle forks are crap. They always end up ripping the boot, which can be hard to find on it's own without the entire joint.

I personally use a standard two prong pulley puller. Works great on ball joints.

In the past what I've done is to thread the nut off the end of the joint, and then use a jack to apply pressure to the joint. A lot of pressure. Then smack the side of the rod. Should pop out with a bang. Of course I usually do this on the lower ball joint (Acuras), so I'm not sure how much pressure should be applied to the pitman arm before you cause it to bend.

Bread,

I can't agree more about the pickle forks. :mad They are about a useless as a tit on a bull. I called it a night, I will have another crack at it tommorow. :( The idea about jacking underneath the bolt in the center link is genius as far as I am concerned. I am going to give it a try tommorow, and hopefully the rest of this repair will go smoothly. Thanks again. :buttrock


I unfortunately have to leave her on jack stands halfway out the garage overnight. :( :mad I took a couple shots with my Verizon LG phone, sorry for the piss poor quality. :rolleyes

http://home.comcast.net/~visionmotorsport/GetImage12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~visionmotorsport/GetImage.jpg

Ouch. I hate leaving things like that as well. You gonna sleep in the garage tonight?? :D

What are you undertaking anyways?

Ouch. I hate leaving things like that as well. You gonna sleep in the garage tonight?? :D

What are you undertaking anyways?

Yea well I guess thats the way it has to be sometimes. You know I would be sleeping there if it were not so cold. :help

Basically I am updating the car with new upper and lower control arms, sport stabilizer bar, stabilizer links, center link, & tie rod ends. I will have to get back in there when the UUC springs get here. I figure I will swap out the struts and springs at the same time and replace any wear items there as well. I have a set of KYB GR-2 struts and shocks waiting for this. Then next week I will do the same to the rear. It will get ball joints, wishbones, and traction struts.

The third week I will attempt the heater core, blower motor, the auxilary water pump, and hot water valve. Car should be back up to top form by January. I have an M62 going into the car as well to replace the bad Nikasil block. I can't wait for the extra displacement from the M62. Until I get there I can see this car is gonna continue to kick my a55. :rolleyes Thanks again for the advice man.

Started again today at 10am and finished just a little after 11pm. First impressions are impressive. Handles like a new car again. I am waiting for UUC springs and then I can put the KYB GR-2 Struts/Shocks in with the springs & Sport stabilizer bar. I imagine my handling will only improve further. I tried putting the sport bar in today but I can't mess around with lifting the engine. Especially after this weekend with the car fighting me every step of the way. I did come away with some invaluable tips which I will share to spare others my misery.

I could nont get the center link out of the Pitman arm no matter what I tried. I tried heat, WD-40, pickle fork, handheld mini sledge, and even my jack directly on the threaded portion of the center link protruding from the pitman arm. I also tried a combination of the previosly mentioned. No matter what I did it would not break free. So I finally decided to just remove the the center link with the idler and pitman arms attached. I figure worst case scenario If I cannot seperate them when I get it detached from the chassis of the car, I will run to the parts counter in the morning and grab a new set. Once I got the whole assembly out, I tried the pitman arm extractor tool. It would not bite on the edge of the pitman arm no matter what i tried. Heres what did work. Unbridled Rage and Fury. I put the whole assembly down and smacked the ever loving crap out of it with the mini sledge. One shot released it. :) I basically wrapped it on the top of the bolt end of the center link on the pitman arm. I figure I don't need the center link anymore anyway so screw it.

After that the rest of the project started to smooth out. Drivers side parts were swapped out pretty quickly. I assumed this is gonna fly now. I will tell you all one thing. Assumption is the mother of all f_ck ups. I get to the passenger side traction strut only to be stopped dead in my tracks again. picckle for will not seperate the ball joint end smacked on it for 2 hours straight. I decide to change the direction at which I am smacking the pickle fork in. I start smacking it directly out the passenger side wheel well from underneath the car with my trusty mini sledge. I finally see it give, But the final blow that released it also made the fork puncture through the dust cover of the brake rotors and right into the rotor itself. Again F_ck!!!!! I look between the dust sheild and the rotor to see the fork went right through to the hollow section of the rotor inside the hub not even damaging the rotors braking surface. I think awesome I just dodge a bullet. Did I mention the assumption is the mother of all f_uck ups yet? Well an imprompto brake removal realizes my worst fear. I need a new rotor. It did not hit the wear surface, but the little hex nut that hold the rotor on the hub had a failure on the rotor itself whereby the countersunk section on the rotor that holds the hexnut fractured away from the rotor in turn not securing the rotor to the hub. :(

Anyway I got everything I needed done, but I feel like I just came back from a serious arse kicking. I finally got the car out of the garage and its back in the driveway. :) I figure the rotor is still safe to drive on as the 5 lug bolts secure the wheel and the rotor to the hub. So now aftercleaning up and making myself a third Gumball (Jagermeister & Red Bull) I am updating everyone here on my progress. As tough a weekend as its been I still have a sense of accomplishment for a serious job completed, and am happy knowing I have a more intimate knowledge of my car. Bread thanks again for the help, you really stepped up to the plate for me when i needed it most. I raise my glass to you. Salute'

I need a new rotor. It did not hit the wear surface, but the little hex nut that hold the rotor on the hub had a failure on the rotor itself whereby the countersunk section on the rotor that holds the hexnut fractured away from the rotor in turn not securing the rotor to the hub. :(

Bread thanks again for the help, you really stepped up to the plate for me when i needed it most. I raise my glass to you. Salute'

No problem. What an adventure!

Is the set screw that you are reffering to the one that holds the rotor to the hub? If so, this is mainly just to hold the rotor in place while removing the wheel. Kinda keeps things in place during a tire change. When the wheel itself is bolted down it holds the rotor in place just fine. I think you're alright.

Anybody here please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I may not be thinking of the same screw.

A Gumball sounds good right now. I'll have to try that :)

Wow, sounds like a nightmare, but sounds like you almost have everything ironed out.

Great patience on this.. and sounds like you will be better that new once you complete your project. :redspot

Good luck and thanks for information. I know that this project will be in my future some day too..

:buttrock

Is the set screw that you are reffering to the one that holds the rotor to the hub? If so, this is mainly just to hold the rotor in place while removing the wheel. Kinda keeps things in place during a tire change. When the wheel itself is bolted down it holds the rotor in place just fine. I think you're alright.

Anybody here please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I may not be thinking of the same screw.

Absolutely right - think of this as a "convenience" screw...(wait, that sounds kind of funny...)

Regardless, the wheel bolts hold the rotor on, the set screw does not...

And good effort on your DIY from h*ll - all I can say is...wow.

Great read..

I feel your pain...

Been there...done that!

I found that the pickle fork that I bought had a greater taper...and would bearly clinch with maybe a little over a 1/4 inch that would stick out.....

I went to my dads and picked up his old fork circa 1960's....it was nice and skinny...and would have more contact...after clinch atleast 1 1/8" would hang out.

Though....
On my way out of the garage...Dad handed me a 5 foot section of 2" stainless pipe....

He said... "Usa esta pinche tubo para que salga esa chingadera!"...which translates into:<ahem> "Use this for leverage!"

After i got home..it probably took only 5 minutes and they were off the car....

You used your hammer...i used a pipe!

DIY projects are easier tackled with MUCHO beer~!

Without beer....I wouldnt know how i would have rebuilt my front suspension...or lower the E38... replace the diff....or R&R the S38 on my E34...Did I mention that Rear Intake Manifold plate is a Bitch??

Great read..

I feel your pain...

Been there...done that!

I found that the pickle fork that I bought had a greater taper...and would bearly clinch with maybe a little over a 1/4 inch that would stick out.....

I went to my dads and picked up his old fork circa 1960's....it was nice and skinny...and would have more contact...after clinch atleast 1 1/8" would hang out.

Though....
On my way out of the garage...Dad handed me a 5 foot section of 2" stainless pipe....

He said... "Usa esta pinche tubo para que salga esa chingadera!"...which translates into:<ahem> "Use this for leverage!"

After i got home..it probably took only 5 minutes and they were off the car....

You used your hammer...i used a pipe!

DIY projects are easier tackled with MUCHO beer~!

Without beer....I wouldnt know how i would have rebuilt my front suspension...or lower the E38... replace the diff....or R&R the S38 on my E34...Did I mention that Rear Intake Manifold plate is a Bitch??

Thanks man. :D

I concur about the Cervezas. :buttrock Jagermeister got me through that cold garage though. :rolleyes Didi I read somewhere you are changing out your own transmission? :eek: You have big brass ones my friend. :alright

I also remember you facelifting your own car. How hard was it to get the fenders off? TIA

The Facelift: ...PSSSssshhhhttt... probably the easiest project that I have ever done on my E38...

Although, I had to remove the front doors to remove the lower mounting bolts that attach the fender to the body that can bearly be visible when you open the door....

The fenders come out with little trouble after that ordeal.

www.cardomain.com/id/elibeemer
Page 6 shows a few pics on the Facelift

I picked up a Clean tittle 95 740il with a bad trans for 3,000 !!!!

Many issues..broken cupholders...bad windshield..dings...Leaking valve covers..

I already have a replacement 5HP30 ready to go in this weekend.

Thanks man. :D

I concur about the Cervezas. :buttrock Jagermeister got me through that cold garage though. :rolleyes Didi I read somewhere you are changing out your own transmission? :eek: You have big brass ones my friend. :alright

I also remember you facelifting your own car. How hard was it to get the fenders off? TIA

I tried your gumball concoction. Came out real nice :D

I tried your gumball concoction. Came out real nice :D

Yea that will keep me goin even through the toughest DIY repairs. :D Glad you liked it. :buttrock