How do I get this ball joint off please

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ddodg

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ball joint 2.JPG

Hi,
The ram on my autohelm has stopped working so trying to get it off to test/repair. However I cannot get the ball joint off the tiller pin. The seems to be no retaining nut or similar . Guess it might be some sort of push fit (?) but did not want to use excessive force until I knew how it went together. Any help appreciated.
 
A very powerful technique is to apply a static push or pull in the dismantling direction using a jack or G clamp for example supplemented by vibration ideally using two similar hammers impacting simultaneously on opposite sides of the joint. I can't be sure from the photograph whether this is achievable but it's a tactic that I've used with success a few times.
 
Your best bet is probably is to unscrew the pin from the tiller arm (using the two flats provided) and then unscrewing (or otherwise separating) the ball joint from the actuating rod. I think that it would be more cost effective to replace the ball-joint with a new one than to "repair" it.
 
Thanks for the replies.
There are two flats on the pin but so far the pin will not move either despite large amounts of penetrating fluid etc. The pin is stainless and seems to thread into the cast aluminium arm. Suspect the dis similar metals have caused it to lock up solid. I will keep lubricating the pin but that is why I was exploring the option of trying to move the ball joint itself up and off the pin.
Will try again tomorrow so all ideas welcome.
 
The top part looks like it might have a sliding section just below the small ball joint which has to be moved before it can be separated. Try messing with that first.

Heat is your friend assuming the steel pin is just stuck.

You could start with some boiling water but a BIG propane torch is the next step. You will also need a traditional forked jemmy.
 
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Have you tried unscrewing the ram rod from the ball joint? The rod usually screws in to the end of the banjo shaped piece, and is likely to be easier to unscrew than a stainless pin screwed into an aluminium casting.
 
The ball joint is not a ball joint but is a 'rose' joint and is not meant to separate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_end_bearing
You might apply some heat to the pin in order to slide the rose off the pin but if that isn't successful then
you will need to unscrew the pin from the aluminium arm and then from the actuating cylinder and finally press the pin out of the rose joint!
 
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ean_p said:
The ball joint is not a ball joint but is a 'rose' joint and is not meant to separate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_end_bearing
You might apply some heat to the pin in order to slide the rose off the pin but if that isn't successful then
you will need to unscrew the pin from the aluminium arm and then from the actuating cylinder and finally press the pin out of the rose joint!
Click to expand...

The alternative is much simpler. Detach the Autohelm from its mountings and cables, (you are going to have to do that anyway to send it for repair) and unscrew the rose joint from the actuator rod, leaving the rose joint still attached to the pin.
 
TQA said:
The top part looks like it might have a sliding section just below the small ball joint which has to be moved before it can be separated. Try messing with that first.

Heat is your friend assuming the steel pin is just stuck.

You could start with some boiling water but a BIG propane torch is the next step. You will also need a traditional forked jemmy.
Click to expand...

I have one of those pins. The rose joint should just lift (slide) off. Blowlamp, hot water, pen oil etc. Use a puller
 
Norman_E said:
The alternative is much simpler. Detach the Autohelm from its mountings and cables, (you are going to have to do that anyway to send it for repair) and unscrew the rose joint from the actuator rod, leaving the rose joint still attached to the pin.
Click to expand...

Well thats not really the question that was asked....the simplest way to 'detach' the cylinder from the quadrant arm is to releave the pressure in the cylinder and then simply unscrew the cylinder chrome from the rose joint which leaves the rose joint on the arm pin and also leaves the cylinder in situ for 'tests' as requested!.....but again, still not what was asked for but what ever!
 
ean_p said:
Well thats not really the question that was asked....the simplest way to 'detach' the cylinder from the quadrant arm is to releave the pressure in the cylinder and then simply unscrew the cylinder chrome from the rose joint which leaves the rose joint on the arm pin and also leaves the cylinder in situ for 'tests' as requested!.....but again, still not what was asked for but what ever!
Click to expand...

The first post says he is trying to remove the autohelm for test or repair. That does not require getting the pin out of the tiller arm.
 
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