Jack hammer on frozen bucket pivot pins

[wateka]

The Bob-Tach bucket pivot pins on my new-to-me 1993 Bobcat 853 would not come out. I tried the instructions from the service manual (remove Zerk fitting and use a sledge hammer on the slightly unscrewed bolt). Nope, but I did bend the bolt.

I tried my 5-ton hydraulic gear puller. Nope.

I then thought, I've got a 20-ton short body hydraulic ram. THAT will do it. Nope, and that got me worried because I've read posts about folks cutting out their Bob-Tachs with torches to get the pins out.

Thanks to @jberndt and others:
https://www.skidsteerforum.com/threads/sure-fire-way-to-remove-frozen-rusted-pins.51445/ I saw the suggestion of a jack hammer. Off to Home Depot Tool Rental I went. The ratchet strap serves to both keep the hammer level and tight. I cut the head off a 6" long Grade 8 3/4" bolt, threaded it in to the pivot pin (this model has threads in the pivot pins, not the bolt-through kind on later models) and let it go to town, using a ground rod driving bit. It took about six minutes of pounding and it popped free. Bonus: it shook loose every mud dauber nest hidden in the arms.

 

[Tractor 345]

That's great idea. I have to change some pins this is going to be enjoyable.

 

[brdgbldr]

I had a stuck pin and found a similar video on YouTube. I've also seen it done for bushings.

Unfortunately, I ended up having to drill and hammer by hand. Didn't need to go to the gym for a week.

 

[koko]

Glad that it popped free, but I see that you found it more important to video that operation than to hang on to & steady the jack hammer.