I've been doing a CV axle replacement on my 98 Legacy... for the past 5 days
Things haven't exactly gone to plan - from stubborn axle nuts to broken punches, it's been an interesting time.
My latest issue came when inserting the new roll pin - I made sure the holes lined up as well as I could (even got a second pair of eyes to help me guide the axle onto the right spline), but the roll pin still stopped going in halfway through. So I got a 10 lb weight and used that as a hammer on my "Subaru axle pin removal tool" (purchased off Amazon, basically a fancy long punch). Well, the punch split open the roll pin and slid inside. So, in an attempt to get the damaged roll pin out, I spun the axle 180 and hammered from the other side - the same thing happened again, this time inside the axle - my punch is now lodged inside the roll pin, which is stuck in the axle, near impossible to get out. I
I've tried using a small diameter rod to slide inside the roll pin and hammer out the punch, and I've attached vise grips to the handle of the punch and hammered up on them in an attempt to pull it out - neither has worked.
This is a rough spot - I can't get the car towed because it is parked in a garage and the front axles won't turn with a 2 foot rod sticking out of the CV axle, maybe someone has input on this?
Attached two pics, one shows the stuck punch, the other shows the roll pin from under the car and how it has spread apart.