front strut removal, stuck!! Options

[opera guy]

(IMG:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads4/StrutReinforcement011104770018.jpg)
part 1, 2, and 3 are removed. also, the top end is removed from under the hood. in addition, the tie rod is removed (gonna install TTR), but the strut is stuck to the ball joint. how do i unstuck it?

i wanna install new ball joint later next week, and wanna clean up the lower strut housing a little (also wanna install some koni inserts)

please help

ps. should i do bump steer kit now? will lower the car about 1 inch

[ajracer]

Just me $ 0.02 worth SINCE I just did this a few days ago.
Let me say that I had followed all the suggests mentioned
above and out there, but had little success. So I decided I
would attempt to remove the Ball Joint from the A arm and
Then try to remove the Ball Joint from the bottom of strut.

I used lots of penetration fluid, air chisel, pipe wrench, etc.
BUT no luck until I used a torch to heat the ball joint nut and
then air chiseled it came loose. Then all I needed to do was
place in a vise and heat the bottom of the strut and hammer
along with air chisel to break the ball joint loose from strut.
It was a difficult and time consuming job, but about two hours
later I had both removed and moved on to another project.
The Ball Joints were junk from the heat (seems some type of
deadly "plastic" in the joint) but saved everything else. Few
days later I then got some front suspension parts to replace my
RUSTED A-arms and then repeated the same procedure with
better success and even spared the ball joints and rubber seals
from excessive heat; now I can reuse these ball joints. (According
to my 914 friend he states the 914 ball joint hardly ever wear
out or fail, not sure if true but they are tight and sealed).
Trust this long winded comments might assist you.

Allan