I am the second owner but the PO was not a penny picher on repairs (ie., I have every receipt since new. . .he took it to the dealer for detailing every 3 months, oil changes, battery replacement, etc.).

Anyway, I like your idea of depressing the shaft and sliding a small vice grip to hold the shaft. I'll give it a try. One last question. . .do I need to use MB power steering fluid or is plain old ATF juice just as good?

Thanks again.