Add a Zerk fitting to your steering box

[HanksB3B]

Sometime ago I rebuilt a steering box from another 51 B3B. You might remember the thread as many of you guys contributed to it in an effort to help me out.

The most important part of the rebuild, (eliminating excessive play in the steering), worked out fine and now the truck is a pleasure to drive.

The last issue was what lubricant to use. Although everyone had their own idea as to what would work best, I decided to use Amsoil 75-90 synthetic gear oil.

Even though I made an effort to clean all surfaces including the .003 and .005 shims (the combination of which is critical to the amount of play) most of the clean gear case oil is sitting in my drip pan.

Well dog-gone-it they do know something down on the farm that us city-folk never heard about. “Corn-Head-Lube”’ what the heck is corn-head-lube? Urr.. John Deere makes it humm.

Having come to the conclusion that the steering box is not a high speed rotary mechanism like a trans or a diff I’m about to switch over to a "0" grease.

I didn’t like the thought of removing the cover plate (where the adjustment is), packing the gear box with grease and really not knowing if it were full or not.

A few days ago, I wanted to do some unrelated work (bead-blasting some parts) and discovered a place down the street had a bead-blast cabinet. Scott gave me a brief tour and told me to come back on Friday. I showed up first thing this morning at Shaver Specialties, Torrance Ca., with a box of donuts.

It was a pretty fascinating machine shop the size and likes of which I’d never seen. I saw a football field of various machines, a CNC machine specifically tooled up to turn out solid lifters (probably for the hotrod aftermarket’s most popular 350 Chevy engines).

One of the two concrete dyno rooms had a huge inline 6 cylinder engine, I was told turned 213mph in Tim Estrada’s favorite place Bonneville Salt Flats. I wanted to take a picture of it but it was picked up before I got there at 8:00am. It was dyno'd at 700hp for an inline 6.

During the 60’s Torrance California was home to many of the most prestigious auto aftermarket companies. Edelbrock, Iskendarian Cams as well as a bunch of Aerospace companies. If anyone has ever seen the original “Gone in 60 seconds” made back in the 1960’s you can see how unpopulated it was here and how everyone in the performance automobile market knew each other.

Shaver Industries builds engines for Nascar as well as a client list I was too afraid to ask about. Scott Shaver and I talked a lot about the mutual friends we knew and before too long I started feeling like family. We bead-blasted a bunch of parts and then I got to watch a pair of very skilled hands drill an extra steering box oil plug and use a tapered tap so that I can pump my steering box with yaaa.. hooo… John Deere Corn Head Lube.

I think the best part is when Scotts dad founder George Shaver passed the word around the shop that "Make sure to tell whoever owns that Dodge Pickup to be careful pulling out around those pipe bollards" I made sure that Scott and I found George on the way out and popped the hood.

Though you might like to see a few pics,

Hank

Edited June 25, 2010 by HanksB3B

[HanksB3B]

Not yet been determined if the original Voltage Regulator donated by 49dodge1ton in Texas is going to work, or become a paperweight.

The oil cap from JJ is primed and needs a little wet sanding, black epoxy and a decal.

The cab mount cover plate from donated by Reg and the Ebay "radio-delete-plate" need to be green.

Thanks y'all,

Hank

Edited June 25, 2010 by HanksB3B

[48Dodger]

Nice job Hank! To bad about the Inline six....I would have liked to have seen that. The zerk looks factory, maybe you should have a few made, and get that ebay store up and running. lol.

48D

[grey beard]

This spring I finished restoring a Ford 8N tractor. Spent a buncha' time lurking on their forum threads and learned the merits of JD Corn Head grease. I drained my tractor steering box and installed a zerk in an opening towards the top end of the casting and began to pump this green slime in. Took two complete tubes of the stuff before grease came out at the top of the steering column.

Man, but this stuff is slick. Almost like power steering. Must have a lot of friction modifier additives in it. I'm tickled, and it's not too expwnsive - think I spent about three bucks a tube for the stuff. I doubt your steering box will leak this stuff out very soon.

Good Luck

[smallblockjunkie]

nice job on that greese zerk. Is the cover powder coated or is it paint/ What ever it is it came out good. GOOD JOB

[Don Coatney]

For an interesting video follow this link. This stuff is Thixotropic. That is always good to know.

https://jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/document/english/pmac/8180_fb_GreaseSpecialMultiPurpose.htm#_Special-purpose_corn_head

[pflaming]

Thixotropic: I looked up the word, for those like me: thixotrophy means that certain properties in the (mix) will settle to the bottom and need stirring to get them all in sinc. This must not be a significant problem or the steering mechanism keeps it all active.

Thanks Don: I learned a new word and its definition today.

PF

[Flatie46]

Any lube that has Molybdenum Disulfide in it is good stuff.

[HanksB3B]

nice job on that greese zerk. Is the cover powder coated or is it paint/ What ever it is it came out good. GOOD JOB

Just my next to favorite (powdercoat) Rustol-Oleum Appliance Epoxy w/o primer. Rumor is if your wife will let you cook it in the oven it'll harden up like powdercoat. I'm afraid to ask and besides don't want to risk the potential toxic fumes and killing our birds.

Hank

[Don Coatney]

A couple of days ago I stopped by a John Deere dealer and purchased 2 tubes of ISO460 corn head grease. Cost about 8 bucks for 2 tubes. Today I pulled my (Plymouth P-15) steering box fill plug, drilled, and tapped it for a grease fitting. Re-installed it and pumped in one tube of this corn head grease. Took around 400 pumps to empty the tube. My question is how much grease is enough? Or better yet, what is the (oil) capacity of the steering gear box? I looked for this information on all my lubrication charts and did not find it. Do cars and trucks use the same steering gear box?

[JBNeal]

My experience has been to fill any gearbox about 3/4 full of grease, then after using for a few hours, the grease will 'settle' and then can be topped off. On PTO gearboxes, grease will be pushed up the gearbox wall, and then fall over onto the gears, coating them continuously if enough grease is in there.

A short cut is to use a putty knife to scoop out the grease from its tube & force the grease into the gearbox (cover removed). Assemble, use for probably a hunnert miles (preferably on hot days), then top off as required with a grease gun.

[JoelOkie]

Do cars and trucks use the same steering gear box?

The steering boxes on my 46 coupe and 49 Dodge truck appear to be the same. The steering box on my 37 Plymouth pickup looks similar, but the adjustment being down on the engine side of the box, and the pittman arm drops outside the frame rail.

I have added the zerk, but haven't filled yet. Looking at the Lube and Maintenance information in the service manual for the steering gear the last notatation regarding filling gear with 90wt grease is "Do not use pressure gun." Looking at the expanded view of the box in the steering section it shows oil seals in three locations for the steering box. I wonder if there is any danger of ruining those oil seals when applying grease under pressure?

[Reg Evans]

Isn't the steering gear box open to the atmosphere via the top of the steering column ? Wouldn't too much oil or grease just come up and out of the steering column and overflow onto your lap ?

[Young Ed]

Might be a path of least resistance thing. If its easier for the pressure to blow past a seal it might to that before going uphill into the cab.

[JoelOkie]

Isn't the steering gear box open to the atmosphere via the top of the steering column ? Wouldn't too much oil or grease just come up and out of the steering column and overflow onto your lap ?

That's the mental image I had of what was happening with the last 300-350 pumps of the grease gun, also:)

I was thinking along the line of Don's question, as to what should the capacity be. A tube of grease seems like quite a bit.

[JoelOkie]

Might be a path of least resistance thing. If its easier for the pressure to blow past a seal it might to that before going uphill into the cab.

And I am just the guy it would happen to, Ed Just thought I would ask before proceeding with the head grease, which idea I like a lot. I would rest easier knowing how much grease I should be putting in.

That notation about not using a pressure gun probably was to keep from filling the car with grease, and the oil seals were to keep oil from dripping out, but like I said, I have gotten into enough messes to be a little cautious.

[Don Coatney]

Isn't the steering gear box open to the atmosphere via the top of the steering column ? Wouldn't too much oil or grease just come up and out of the steering column and overflow onto your lap ?

Now THAT sounds like it might be fun:cool:

[Reg Evans]

Now THAT sounds like it might be fun:cool:

Ya mean like in one of them drive in picture shows with your best girl er somethin ?

[Don Coatney]

Ya mean like in one of them drive in picture shows with your best girl er somethin ?

Yea....Kinky:D

[HanksB3B]

What I didn't tell you guys was that after I completed the zerk fitting and went to install it, I found my steering box in fact was not leaking and was full of Amsoil 75-90 synthetic gear oil.

I did install the plug with the zerk fitting but decided to wait on pumping the corn head grease. As far as the amount goes based on how much Amsoil I put in I would suspect about 6-8oz of oil (will double check) and somewhat more corn head grease (maybe 3/4-1 tube max) because it is not liquid and limited by overflow of the plug (fill line so to speak).

As far as how I would go about it I think I'd loosen the cover plate slightly and look at how it's oozing out. Reg you are correct in that ultimately it would push out the felt dust washer where the shaft exits the steeting box itself. I wouldn't really worry about dirt making it into the column unless I was Reg (who has removed his horn button and chaws and spits down the steering column ).

Hank

Cover Plate.pdf

Shims.pdf

Edited July 2, 2010 by HanksB3B

[Reg Evans]

I wouldn't really worry about dirt making it into the column unless I was Reg (who has removed his horn button and chaws and spits down the steering column ).

Hank

WHAT HANK ?!?!?!.........You've got the wrong guy....I've always smoked my chew.

[JoelOkie]

Ya mean like in one of them drive in picture shows with your best girl er somethin ?

I honestly don't think corn head lube is the right product for that particular application. Edited July 2, 2010 by JoelOkie

[JoelOkie]

I did install the plug with the zerk fitting but decided to wait on pumping the corn head grease. As far as the amount goes based on how much Amsoil I put in I would suspect about 6-8oz of oil (will double check) and somewhat more corn head grease (maybe 3/4-1 tube max) because it is not liquid and limited by overflow of the plug (fill line so to speak).

As far as how I would go about it I think I'd loosen the cover plate slightly and look at how it's oozing out......

Hank

Makes sense. Joel

[HanksB3B]

WHAT HANK ?!?!?!.........You've got the wrong guy....I've always smoked my chew.

but I was mistaken. Hey remember the post where the guy discovered that the previous owner really did chew and spit against the window and let it drool down to the bottom of the door? Now that, is disgusting!

Hank

[Don Coatney]

I honestly don't think corn head lube is the right product for that particular application.

Any suggestions??????