SUCCESS,..... finally!
 

My thanks go out to all of the wonderful, kind hearted, and very wise contributors to this thread. The many excellent suggestions led to the ultimate success, and the words of encouragement kept me going, and going, and going...etc. 8>)
A lot of the thanks should go to PB Blaster....and I used a lot of it.
Yes there is a steel plate under the plastic dash board....good to know that.
A 2X6 board across my lap did support the wheel as I hammered away.
The suggestion to use a 5/8-18 nut and bolt on the end of the steering post enabled me to wail away on it in spite of the wheel being a deep dish, and further protected the shaft threads.
The wheel is still quite useable, but the steering box looks sad....It may need a complete rebuild, or replacement, but that'll be the next thread.....this thread has gone on long enough....LOL.
Thanks again to each and every one of you.
Jim

Glad you finally got it off Jim! :beerchug:

I bet that's a relief!

A bit of advice, don't hit a hammer with a hammer!!
They are hardened and a chip will fly off and it will penatrate the skin like a bullet!! BTDT many, many years ago.
I had to carve out the metal chip with a pocket knife OMG!:Shocked:
Use a brass hammer with a regular hammer

Same here!

That looks like a newer replacement steering box...might even be a 3-turn one instead of a 2-turn one. I'd take it apart and clean it up before you condemn it.

I know you're glad the steering wheel is off! Great job, Jim!

Way to go Jim.

Good job Jim.

PB and patience ... (and stubbornness) can fix just about anything stuck.

Now, can you remember where you were going when you got sidetracked? :-)

John

The steering box looks OK.
 

I've cleaned it up a bit, removed all the grease and guts....the bearings are all there and appear to be fine. Even the cam and the follower looks smooth and clean enough to use...although I may re-dress the follower just a bit. I will need to replace the felt seal and the seal retainer, but that's cheap stuff.

But now, after working with this machine and realizing that the loader stresses are making steering hard with the stock 2-turn steering gear, I sure would like to find a good 3-turn gear for it before I put this thing back together again.
Anyone have one for sale?

And while I am dreaming, It would be really nice to be able to operate the bucket with my feet....rather than with the typical hand controls. Kinda like a Bob Cat setup. This machine, with the loader, is much too busy (too many hand controls) to make the work easy or quick.
Jim

The bearing/race kit is like $12...for that price, you can't afford NOT to put one in while you have it this far apart.