Dan in North Houston
Member
Posted last month on suggestions on how to get the end link out.
I had already soaked it in penetrating oil in trying to get the lock pin out, but that did nothing for freeing up the end link. I had some brush to burn, so I put it in the hot coals for a few hours, then using some big shackles, hooked it up to a tree stump. I used compressed air to blow out anything that was inside, but no luck getting any movement. I baked it again overnight in hot coals, used compressed air, then hooked it to a large oak tree that I had cut down earlier. Probably 3000 pounds, drug it back and forth, no luck. I tried the sledge hammer trick, no luck. I baked it overnight again in hot coals, tried the tree drag and sledgehammer again, no luck. Using the shackle, I hooked it to the front end loader bucket, holding it up in the air suspended by the chain. I took a ladder to get in the bucket, then picked up the chain and let it drop - essentially make it into its own slide hammer. No luck. I was about to give up and mounted it back on the tractor. When I tried to put the lock pin back in, it wouldn't go. Although it didn't look like it, it had moved just enough that the lock pin would not seat. I tried the front end loader drop trick again, and after about 5 minutes, it finally came apart. The dirt and rust had fused together on the sides to add at least 1/8" of crud on each side. The crud was so hard that a wire wheel wouldn't dislodge it, I had to use a grinder to clean it up.
Thanks to all for the suggestions.
I had already soaked it in penetrating oil in trying to get the lock pin out, but that did nothing for freeing up the end link. I had some brush to burn, so I put it in the hot coals for a few hours, then using some big shackles, hooked it up to a tree stump. I used compressed air to blow out anything that was inside, but no luck getting any movement. I baked it again overnight in hot coals, used compressed air, then hooked it to a large oak tree that I had cut down earlier. Probably 3000 pounds, drug it back and forth, no luck. I tried the sledge hammer trick, no luck. I baked it overnight again in hot coals, tried the tree drag and sledgehammer again, no luck. Using the shackle, I hooked it to the front end loader bucket, holding it up in the air suspended by the chain. I took a ladder to get in the bucket, then picked up the chain and let it drop - essentially make it into its own slide hammer. No luck. I was about to give up and mounted it back on the tractor. When I tried to put the lock pin back in, it wouldn't go. Although it didn't look like it, it had moved just enough that the lock pin would not seat. I tried the front end loader drop trick again, and after about 5 minutes, it finally came apart. The dirt and rust had fused together on the sides to add at least 1/8" of crud on each side. The crud was so hard that a wire wheel wouldn't dislodge it, I had to use a grinder to clean it up.
Thanks to all for the suggestions.
