Steering Gear Box bolt missing

[seware74]

'54 Dodge C1B 1/2 ton. Just got this project and looking it over I noticed an opening at the bottom of the steering gear box with a bunch of gunk around it. I checked the parts manual and it shows a 5/16 -18 bolt at this location. (This is on the outside of the cap that covers the shims). So I grabbed a bolt of this size thinking it would be a quick fix. But... it appears as if there are no threads in the hole. It certainly isn't biting and I don't want to force it. I cleaned the hole out with a little brakecleen on a narrow bristle brush, but still can't find any threads. 

 

I'm assuming that any lubricant that was in there, no longer is and I certainly don't want to drive it dry.

 

Should I try a thread chaser? Or pull the cap off to see what's going on inside? 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

[squirebill]

My parts book is from 1948 to 1953 so might not be the same.  Is this hole your looking at in the center of the cap that holds the shims?  If so , that hole is the one the wire for the horn goes through.  Maybe the previous owner pulled the wire out and mounted a universal horn button on the side of the steering column and routed the wire through the firewall.  Just a guess.

[seware74]

From the 1955 c-series book... 19-04-5 is what I thought is missing.

Doh! Now that I'm looking at it again, I think I've been misreading the illustration... Shown is 1 of 4 bolts at the corners, not one at the center. That would explain a lot. If that's the case then I probably need to put new seals in this unit... It's a mess. 

[Merle Coggins]

It's usually the pitman shaft seal that leaks. Some people fill them up with a 00 grease. Some refer to is as cornhead grease, often used in combines. I've also seen it used in lawnmower gearboxes. It's a semi-flowable grease that is much thicker than gear lube so it doesn't leak out as bad. There should be a plug at the top of your gear box. Remove that plug and see how much, if any, oil is in there.