TheSamba.com :: View topic - cross shaft arm removal problems--with update

Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:33 pm

I'm trying to remove a cross shaft arm. I've searched the cross shaft threads and nobody else seems to have addressed this particular issue:

I know there are two types--the two-circlip-style that has a circlip on the outside of the shaft holding the arm on and one one the inside holding the bearing in place...remove the outside clip and the arm slides off...

Mine doesn't have the circlip on the outside...the arm appears to be pressed on. I can't get it to budge.

Any advice? Anyone successfully use a small two arm puller (mine aren't small enough to grab the shoulders on the arm) or other method to get this job done?

Thanks!

Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:22 pm

Grab an 11mm wrench and remove the special set screw on the fwd side of the bell housing. Then the bearing will be able to move out and off the end of the shaft. The arm falls out.

Be careful not to loose that set screw; it's special. Also be careful to line up the hole in the bushing with the set screw hole or you will pinch the bushing and ruin it.

Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:56 pm

Roger that. I removed the set screw with the 11mm head and I removed the inside/right circlip. I can even get the bearing to slide to the right, so it isn't seized...but I can't get the arm to come off the end of the shaft...

I'm on the verge of buying a small two-arm puller. That ought to do it, if I can get ahold of it. But if anyone has a "trick", I'd be grateful to be clued in.

Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:38 pm

coach macinnis wrote: I'm on the verge of buying a small two-arm puller. That ought to do it, if I can get ahold of it. But if anyone has a "trick", I'd be grateful to be clued in.
I had the same problem and used a small two-arm puller that is used to pull off wiper arms from wiper shafts. That worked great! The wiper shaft puller can be found at a good auto parts store or on eBay.

Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:39 am

HenrikL wrote: coach macinnis wrote: I'm on the verge of buying a small two-arm puller. That ought to do it, if I can get ahold of it. But if anyone has a "trick", I'd be grateful to be clued in.
I had the same problem and used a small two-arm puller that is used to pull off wiper arms from wiper shafts. That worked great! The wiper shaft puller can be found at a good auto parts store or on eBay.

Thanks, HenrikL. I've never seen one of those pullers, but it looks like it would be perfect for the job! Thanks a ton for the tip!!

Fri May 06, 2016 9:44 am

UPDATE:

I purchased the $15 Performance Tool version of the puller HenrikL recommended (see above). Unfortunately, the arms wouldn't grab on to the clutch lever...they just slid right off once tension was applied. I modified the tool to keep this from happening (rigging it so that the arms couldn't move)and then promptly bent the arms, essentially ruining the tool.

Other versions of this tool (including the one HenrikL specifically recommended, which I couldn't find at my FLAPS but can be found on amazon)--called a wiper shaft and batter terminal removal tool--may work better.

At any rate, I ended up buying a regular set of two-arm pullers which I probably should have added to my tool collection a decade ago.

I had to drill a little divot in the end of the cross shaft to keep it centered and I had to use a band clamp to keep the arms from sliding off, but this method ultimately worked.

Just thought I'd share in hopes of saving others who run into this problem from the same headache.

Fri May 06, 2016 10:17 am

Thanks for the update. We are supposed to post the end results for everybody's future reference. :D