Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Well - hard to say Wayne as mine moves very smoothy (unless I tighten the top nut to much).  I am pretty sure once you take it off the tank, the shafts on either side unscrew but I didn't even try that to be honest, so I only assume they unscrew off the center (the part that mounts to the tank).  I do see the bottom of threads on these pipes.  Heck, there is some scarring to the bottom of my pipe like someone took it apart (or tried to).

I assume you soaked it with some kind of anti-freezing oil - say like Free-All Spray over night?  When I had my screw head off, the pump shaft fell down to where I could not grab the top treads.  I just lightly tapped it from the bottom and it came out enough to grab the first few threads - thats' how easy mine moves.  I think there might be another check ball inside the pump movement (not just the one between the mount and tank).  Perhaps that is all frozen together with your pump.  Oh, it could be a ton of lime & calcium and soaking it in CLR would help?

Not sure if that helps...