How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi all,

As you can see by the photographs, I am having to get a bit creative to try to remove the damn yoke off the pinion shaft in the axle housing. This is my latest attempt!

I set up my 12 ton press and engine crane around the axle housing to see if I could get it to move. The yoke is sitting in the press with the ram of the press on the pinion shaft, with a ball bearing in the hole in the end of the pinion shaft separating the pinion shaft and ram.

There is sufficient slack in the chain around the axle housing so that the axle housing is effectively hanging off the yoke on the press. The chain will ‘catch’ the axle when the yoke releases.

So, the weight of the axle housing and the press are working together against the stuck pinion shaft. I have hand cranked the jack up as far as I am game to.

I have tried heating the yoke casting with a propane burner several times. It is certainly looking cooked and I’m a little reluctant to heat it too long/often but if you think that it can stand a fair bit of heat, I will persevere.

I’ve been fairly liberal with the penetrating oil since I started working on this axle some weeks ago but if it is getting down the pinion shaft, it is certainly not obvious to me at the moment.

Does anyone have any other ideas on how I might encourage this stubborn yoke to come off?

How easy would it be to get another yoke or similar yoke to replace this one if worst comes to worst? I don't want to cut the damn thing off but I am running out of ideas (and patience!).