Manual Steering Box

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bobscuda67

bobscuda67

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I have a manual box I'm going to install on my car. I was thinking about installing new bearings and seals myself. What kind of specialty tools do you need? I know a service manual is mandatory but beyond that, what else?
Anyone have any tips on doing one?
I opened it up and it had the rusty brown grease in it and when I removed the pitman arm shaft all the needle bearings fell out.:banghead:
I'm really not to sure if I should do it myself, I might be in over my head.
 
Thanks! I took it all apart today and cleaned the case. I'll order parts from Firm Feel and give it a try.
 
my68barracuda said:
put up a post on how this goes,, thinking of doing this also..
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Ok, I started to dissemble the gear box. Only problem I see is how to get the bearing race out of the housing.
The worm gear is in very good condition. No flat spots or hitches anywhere.
 

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nice photos, thanks,
did it come apart with normal hand tools?

for the bearing race,,can you get behind it and use a set of inside bearing pullers? AZ has those in their tool loaner program.
 
I'd clean the race in place and look it over. Heck there may not be any real reason to remove it

Isn't there a "soft plug" behind it?
 
No soft plug. There is a space between the race and the housing to get a small puller of some type behind the race. Of course the FSM shows a Miller tool just for that.
I was thinking maybe I could use a slide hammer with some heat to pull it out. But really the race is in good condition, maybe I'll just leave it in.

I used no special tools to tear it down this far.
 
If the races are good leave em . the new races are shorter and may need to be shimmed to be exact. I just did one with the 20-1 worm gear and races were great. The neew needle bearings come caged now.
 
scamp 408 said:
If the races are good leave em . the new races are shorter and may need to be shimmed to be exact. I just did one with the 20-1 worm gear and races were great. The neew needle bearings come caged now.
Click to expand...

Good to know about the needle bearings being caged, that;ll make it easier to put back together. My races look good too.

Called Firm Feel to order the rebuild kit Tuesday. Matt tried to sell me a 20:1
worm gear and I would really love to have one but the cost is a little steep for me.
 
I received the bearing and seal kit from Firm Feel the other day. While I was waiting for it I polished the sector and worm gear shaft. I took the worm gear apart and cleaned it all up. The kit did not come with races so I reused the old ones anyway.
It all went together easy and I repacked it with Mobil 1 grease as I assembled it. The hardest thing to do is to make a gasket, one didn't come with the kit either.
 

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Thanks for the pics Bob! How much did the kit cost? Also which gasket did you have to make??
Cheers
Steve
 
The only gasket the box has is under the sector shaft top plate, the cap that has 3 bolts on top of the unit.
The kit cost $100 plus shipping cost of $15.00.
If you do yours I wouldn't take the worm gear apart like I did. Just soak it in some mineral spirits and pack it with new grease. There are 50 ball bearings in there and they have to be put back together correctly.
 
bobscuda67 said:
I received the bearing and seal kit from Firm Feel the other day.
Click to expand...

I talked to Matt at FF today. They want $100 for the rebuild kit or they'll rebuild my box for $329 plus shipping both ways. If it's as simple as it looks I'll do it myself and may even spring for the 20:1 worm gear.
 
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