Best way to remove steering coupler pin

I grab that tiny pin with diagonal plier and pull it out, same as a cotter pin. Plier jaw works like a claw hammer. early couplings didn't have it. It was only added to prevent "damnit!" screw ups during service. When pulling the entire column out of the firewall, if the coupling caught edge of that hole in the firewall, the coupling cap would pop off, all the coupling guts would come out.
The 3 bolts at hold the steering gear to the K frame have been known to loosen.