Steering selector

[old rat 49]

Took the cap off steering box just for a look see. Filled with grease of a putty consistancy. Want to clean it all out. To remove the steering selector only; all I have to do is pull the pitman arm, the cover and push it out through the top, right ? And if I pull the bottom/end cover also that should enable me to clean most of the old gunk out. That all sound right ?

[old rat 49]

Bump

[austinsailor]

Yes, that should work. I've done just what you are suggesting, except I didn't remove the cover on the end. I had no play so no reason to.

I would do just as you suggest, maybe not remove the plate on the end, wash it out well, put in a new seal and put it back together. I think you can wash it out pretty well without taking the end off.

Some boxes are adjusted by adding or removing shims below the sector, the pickups are adjusted with the screw on the top of the box. I'd get the manual and do whatever yours requires.

Check closely how your gears look. They should have no gouges, or wear showing. If they do, they won't last long.

There are many opinions as to what lub to use, I recommend something that flows, not a stiff grease. Grease will not get where it needs to be. It needs to flow into all the bearings, gears and bushings to do it's job. They originally had something similar to transmission oil.

[old rat 49]

Thanks. Just wanted to be sure before getting in to it.

[Andydodge]

The reason most of the old steering boxes ended up with grease was that the pitman sharft oil seal had given up the ghost and whatever oil was in the steering box dripped out........lol.............replacing the seal meant removal of the pitman arm to get to the seal, "so an injection of this here grease will do the trick".......lol.......not.........if you can, replace the seal with a modern neoprene seal and there are a couple of heavy steering box oils around that are a heavy viscosity but will still get into the bearings and bushes.......Penrite from here in Oz is a good one, but am sure there are some over there.........lol..........andyd