Snapper rider broken steering

[beetlespin]

While cutting the grass many months ago the pin(s) that hold the steering wheel on my Snapper rear engine rider came out. Wanting to finish cutting the lawn I put a nail in it's place. Well, I was never able to get it out and yesterday the nail broke and it is now stuck in the steel steering shaft. It is REALLY in there. So my question is how do I remove this nail? Is there a drill bit that will work?

 

[zkling]

I'll assume it is a blind hole? Was there a roll pin in there initially or? Is there anything protruding to grab on to? If you can get access to it you can very carefully tack weld a longer rod to it and pull it out with a slide hammer, just be careful to not weld the nail to the hole.

 

[Richard Cranium]

can you take a punch and drive it out? Or push it out with a roll pin.

 

[beetlespin]

There "was" a roll pin.

Tried the punch route, it is part of the shaft now.

 

[zkling]

So it is a through hole? If so just get the proper sized punch and knock it out.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

When in doubt, burn it out. Put some real heat to in and the correct size punch. If that doesn't work, pull entire shaft out and get a bigger hammer with it in a vise.

 

[rustyjames]

Nails are generally soft, I'd try drilling it out.

 

[kerrynzl]

She's F***ed when a welder can't fix it.

 

[WoodsTruck]

You obviously wanted a tilt column anyway...

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Is it still attached to the mower? If so all the spring action and play is what's hurting you. It's absorbing your hammer blows. You need to get that in a vise or against an immovable object. It'll punch through.

 

[ishiboo]

Is it still attached to the mower? If so all the spring action and play is what's hurting you. It's absorbing your hammer blows. You need to get that in a vise or against an immovable object. It'll punch through.

This.

Another option would be a piece of metal with a c clamp on each side, and use it like a little press right on the shaft. Be careful though.