HELP, steering shaft will not slide into housing

Did you grease it good? Should be a fitting near the boot. Maybe if you turn the wheel, so the fittings on top, take grease fitting out, spray pb blaster in it. Pb breaks up rust. Maybe try slick 50 grease. Might have to take the column out, to get the Pb to penetrate. But I think if you keep spraying and prying it, while turning the wheel, it might break loose. U-joints damaged, no big deal. If you get it loose, make sure the other, U-joint under the dash is good.

 

It’s just rusted, and probably jammed sideways a little now. I’d just keep spraying it, and hammering on the shaft, down a bit, so not to damage the sliding action. Heat maybe? Boots already gone. I don’t know, might be some plastic bushing inside. Might melt it? I don’t know. But if you got the column out. Stand it up, pb blast it, and smack it with a good hammer. I think it’s jammed, now. The holes aren’t for grease fittings? Or broken fittings? I think maybe the fittings on the boot, grease goes in through the two holes. Maybe a little heat, yellow map gas torch.

 

Find a local machinist, I can see from your post, that you’re shooting in the dark, and possibly damaging the shaft. A good shop can take a few thousands of an inch, off the shaft. That might be the place to go for the fix. They might be able to recommend another shop who works on this.

You obviously lack the skills and knowledge to work on the shaft. Go around to a few shops to check labor rates, plus parts. Don’t cheap out on anything that’s safety related.

 

Well, if you can’t break it loose, you’ll need to remove the whole column anyways to change it. When it’s out, I think you can get it to loosen up, with a big hammer, block of wood to protect the end of the shaft. Clean it up with a drill motor, and wire wheel. Grease it up good, make sure it’s not a sloppy fit. A new boot, grease fittings.

 

Just grab the end of the shaft in one hand and pull and hit the collar just above the knuckle with the biggest hammer you can swing. It'll come loose, if you were able to pry it up you can knock it down. Get it pulled out and wire brush it real good before sticking it back in. Usually the grease fittings are on the end of the top half of the shaft in the collar. Anywhere else and there wouldn't be clearance for threads and the shaft to slide. Ive had to knock loose more pto shafts on the farm than I can swing a hammer at

 

I was almost certain that you were teasing him with: "Grab the end of the shaft in one hand" but then I continued reading and realized it wasn't a joke.