1948 Ford F-1 pitman arm bolt removal?

I have a 48 F-1 pickup and I'm trying to get the steering box out of it. I have to get the 1 7/16" nut off of the pitman arm but I'm worried about breaking something in the box. I had a 1" ratchet on it and I'm afraid to really put a whole lot of force into it for fear of breaking something inside the box. I took the steering wheel and outer shaft off of the steering column. Now I just have to unbolt the box from the frame so I can get the rest of the column off in order to pull the body off the frame.

Am I just being too hesitant with putting force to it? I tried heating it with a propane torch for a long time and I've sprayed a ton of Blaster on it in hopes that it would help the cause. I am going to use this box on the roadster I'm building and I'd rather not mess it up.

 

Get a 1 7/16" 3/4 inch impact socket (use adaptor to 1/2" gun if you need to) and blast way. Years of rust and road abuse have glued that sucker on there. Don't worry about breaking anything.

If a the shock of a impact gun breaks that sector shaft, imagine what would happen after a few hundred miles down the road.

Good luck.

 

I have used pipe wrenches on them, thats with the fender off.
I also use a big square tapered chissel to put behind the pitman arm and frame. It makes taking the pitman arm off a simple job.

 

A propane torch won't put out enough heat to do you any good either. If you don't have a cutting torch to heat it you are probably making it worst by heating it slow.

 

mapp gas and large pipe wrench will get it off.

 

I really need to go buy a new torch setup. I have the bottles, I just need the torches now. I'll try heating it and using the impact. I just have to get a 1/2" drive to 1" drive adapter. Do they make those?

 

I've had at last count, 15 Bonus Built trucks. I've tried everything to get the nut and arm off, the best way is a gas wrench. A small torch won't do it. I just heat up both the nut and the arm, at separate times, until they are just getting red all the way around. The nut will turn off with a socket, pipe wrench or slip pliers. After I get the arm is red I pry between the arm and frame with a pry bar. It usually only takes a few minutes to do it.