removing master cylinder linkage??

well, i did the most part of my disc conversion today, but hit a road block on something that i never should have really done in the first place. i'm using what looks to be a ford truck master cylineder (same as the cj's, but with ports headed to the center instead of the frame). unfortunatley, i like to "play" with things and stuck the shaft that came with the master cylinder inside it. all the prying in the world will not let that thing come loose now. i've taken the snap ring of just to see if there was some way to get to it. from wwhat i saw there isn't.

anyone know the trick to this game?? i need to reuse my old linkage or somehow weld the two together now...