Ken F,
Yes, the spirol roll pin common to the lift handle and rock shaft is the likely culprit for lack of lift height and is probably bent or partially sheared from repeated use over the years. Yes, they can be a pain to remove. The difficult thing is finding access for getting a good swing at it with a BFH and punch to drive it out. I had to remove the fender pan on my 169 rebuild project to get good enough access to drive it out. Lots of penetrating oil too. When I finally got it out, it came out in several pieces. There was a fair amount of discussion a few days ago here on the board about roll pin punches that may make it easier to remove the pin. I used a regular flat end punch that worked but it wasn't easy.
Yes, the spirol roll pin common to the lift handle and rock shaft is the likely culprit for lack of lift height and is probably bent or partially sheared from repeated use over the years. Yes, they can be a pain to remove. The difficult thing is finding access for getting a good swing at it with a BFH and punch to drive it out. I had to remove the fender pan on my 169 rebuild project to get good enough access to drive it out. Lots of penetrating oil too. When I finally got it out, it came out in several pieces. There was a fair amount of discussion a few days ago here on the board about roll pin punches that may make it easier to remove the pin. I used a regular flat end punch that worked but it wasn't easy.