Shaft Joining Method Tapered pins and Brass Sleeve

[StoneCold]

I have an odd shaft joint that I need to get apart.The joint is used to join two 1.5" diameter drive shafts. The shafts go between a gearbox and a vessel seal.The joint is more like a joint used for wood than a joint used for metal. The ends of the two shafts are covered by a brass sleeve. The sleeve is about four inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter. There are three steel pins drivin all the way through the brass and the shafts. The steel pins appear to be tapered.
It is like an Amish version of a machined joint coupling. My real question is how to get this thing apart, and unfortunately back together without hammering the tappered pins in and out, which would break the seal.
The only idea I have so far is to heat the brass coupling up and hope it grows enough that I can lightly tap out the pins to get the shaft apart.
Any input would be apreciated.
Regards
StoneCold

 

[StoneCold]

We heated the brass up with a torch to about 200F and tapped the pins out easy as pie. We will probably put the short piece in an oven and heat it up to about 200C and put it back together. Hopefully no problems.

Regards
StoneCold