(ET) FRont Steering bearing replacement

[stevesgroups verizon net]

I got my snowblower working better; the belt was pretty loose. I noticed 
that my steering was getting pretty sloppy though so I pulled it into the 
barn to take a look. The front bearing of my E20 is held in by a stamped 
pillow block which had fallen apart. So I'm following the directions to 
pull the gear and sector assembly that the bearing is mounted to. I cannot 
get the assembly out. I can get the rear of the shaft to come out of the 
rear bracket but then the rear bracket is caught under the teeth of the 
sector gear which prevents the sector assembly from coming down or the 
rear bracket from being pulled up and out.

Is there some trick to this?

SteveS