HOW DO I: Change Pitman Arm Seal and refill/bleed power steering system???

[wabbit]

My Pitman Arm seal is toast. I have done a search and see it is a replaceable seal. I would like some hints on replacing this seal and what is the best way to refill the power steering system and bleed the air out of the fluid???
Also, if I have to pull the steering box to do this, are there any other things I should address while I have it out?
In the posts I searched, a pitman arm puller was referenced. I'm assuming this is much like a standard gear puller(which I have). Is there something special about a pitman arm puller or will a gear puller work?
Any help from someone who has done this???
Thanks...

 

[JDraper]

I pulled the pittman arm off of my '92 with a regular gear puller. Came off really easily. You need to have a puller that lets you use two arms though. 3 won't work. To bleed the system, you fill the reservoir, then start the vehicle. Turn the wheel several times left to right, but don't go all the way to lock. Top off the fluid and repeat until the level remains steady.

 

[rockylaurence]

Easy with right tools

The arms on a standard puller may not clear, it's a really tight fit. Also, after pulling the arm and removing the "SNAP RING", start the engine and turn the wheel to blow out the old seal. Lastly, don't try to replace the seals with it in the truck--pull it out. I had to use a little force to seat the new seal deep enough to get the S/R back on. Good luck...

 

[wabbit]

Pitman arm will not come off...

Thanks for the tips guys.
I started in on it this morning with a pitman arm puller from Auto Zone. I have been fighting with removing the pitman arm for over an hour and it is not coming off. I have not removed the steering box as everything seems accessible. I set the puller on center, tightened it as much as I could with a long box end wrench, and tapped all around it with a hammer. Went from tapping to pounding with the hammer, and still no go. I used a pipe on the wrench to try to get some more force on the puller and continued to beat some more. Figured WTF and cranked the wrench with the pipe extension another 1/2 turn. Wasn't enough to pull the pitman arm loose, but plenty enough to strip and sieze the puller threads! Had to fight all the way in backing off the puller bolt enough to get it off the arm.
And as a grand finale, when the puller did come loose, it fell onto the side of the coffee can used to catch the drips from the leak and spilled over a quart of ATF onto the driveway.
Not that I can expect any advice to help here. I'm just frazzled and fed up. I'm using the right tools and it just ain't working. I suppose an air chisel and/or a torch would be the next step. Neither of which I'm set up to use.
It looks like I'll be relying on my phone dialing and check writing skills to pay someone to get this done. Or, with the way my luck has been running today, I could just leave the nut off the arm and go for a drive in the mountains. I'm sure the arm would would fall right off at the best possible time.
I wish I live on the east coast where it's after noon now and I could start drinkin'...

 

[rockylaurence]

HEAT!

That's the only thing I can think of. Nice try though....