Steering Coupler Removal

I recently redid my coupler as well. I did not have the pin at the top however, the years of junk and gunk kept the column in the coupler very well. I would also recommend removing the column to give yourself more space to work.

Also, it looks like your steering box and column weren't aligned correctly, or you already moved the column. This might have caused the internal dogs to bite and dig into the coupler sides, making it difficult to remove. (this is pure guess)