Replaced Steering Gear Box, Now The Lines Leak
 

I replaced my steering gear box with a 4-bolt rebuilt unit, and now the larger of the two fittings leaks really badly. Truck is a 1997 7.3 2wd. Is there a trick to getting the lines to seat and seal, or is there a possibility that I ordered the wrong unit?

The plugs that were on the gear box had o-ring seals on them and my lines do not. Did I accidentally order the Econoline gear box and now I need to get different power steering lines?

Sounds like you are missing the teflon o-ring. It is a one-time use item that may have stayed in your old gear when you removed the line. You can get them at any parts store, and they are usually sold in a pack with one of each size. You have to warm it up to make it pliable enough to get it over the threads. I get it on there good enough to kind of screw it on until it reaches the landing that it seals against. DON'T overtighten it.

If it still leaks after that then it is probably an internal o-ring that is not fixable requiring a new fitting or line.

That makes sense because the threads seem to be very deep. Any chance you have a part number? Is it dealer only or would Autozone carry it?

Got mine at the local advance auto. The part number should be the same for other stores.

Dorman - Help Power Steering Caps - Power Steering Sealing Washer Assortment 82540: Advance Auto Parts

Ordered. Thank you!

Got these in yesterday, am I safe to assume these sit on the nut similar to how an o-ring wouldwould? (Under the hex)

Is it supposed to slip over the threads? This is as far as the large washer will go.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psit8bziam.jpg

There is no way this washer is going to go over the threads. This is the large washer on the large line, and the washer is too small to fit over the threads (after leaving it in boiling water for a couple minutes) and too big to fit down into the hole. Am I doing it wrong?

Maybe they go down inside the hole?

That is my assumption. I used the smaller of the two washers and it now sits between the nut and the flange of the hose. I just snugged it and after a short test it *seems* to be holding. I need to drive down to the tire shop that overtorqued my lug nuts to have them break them loose and I will check to see how it goes. I will of course have a bottle of power steering fluid with me. Will update later today.

That is not the right seal. That is the seal used on the other end of the hose, at the pump fitting.

If possible, get a photo down in the hole for the fitting in the steering box. It should be an inverted flare, as should the hose fitting. Let's see which one isn't.

I'm no expert on OBS trucks, but I would have thought that it still used a 3-bolt box (three long bolts through the frame). What's a 4-bolt box off of? You say that the hole plugs had O-rings on them. That sounds more like a GM box. . . Did Ford start doing something like that on the '99/later Super Duties?

I don't think there's supposed to be any seal/o-ring in there at all. Those fittings should be compression type, like brake lines, where the nuts jams the steel line into the fitting and seals it by brute force.

The output side of the pump uses the retarded teflon o-rings, or at least that's the only place I've seen them used. Why Ford didn't just use a compression fitting like on the other end is beyond me.

My nomenclature may be incorrect. I thought "4 bolt" referred to the 4 bolts on the sector shaft cap. This box has 3 long bolts through the frame to mount.

I think I've read the later model Econoline boxes had o-ring seals and some guys are using those boxes and switching their lines to the o-ring type.

I'll have to look which line this is, I've been under the truck so much that I'm tired of chasing hoses and lines. The leak was in the larger of the two going into the gear box.

I put the smaller teflon seal over the flare of the hose and under the nut. Since the nut bottoms out on that flare, instead of having the flare at the "top" end of the nut like an A/N fitting, I assumed the leak may be between the hose and the nut. Sticking the teflon seal there appears to have stopped the leaking after driving a 40 mile round trip. I'll keep an eye on it.

I worry I may have received the later model Econoline box which wouldn't be the end of the world, I'd simply go get the o-ring lines. But I have no leaks on the small hose. And for the moment I'm not even seeing wetting around the connection. I'll be watching it for a while.

The big line is the return line to the power steering pump from the box, and has virtually no pressure in it, but does have a lot of flow.

That Teflon ring is not the right seal, so you'll have to fix things properly at some point.

When I get another chance I'll get a picture looking down into the steering gearbox. If this isn't the right seal, what is?

It should be an inverted flare, which is self-sealing. The smaller line is the high-pressure line and is also inverted flare, which is working (?)

Can you post a photo of the plugs that were in the box? I'm really curious what sort of o-ring configuration is on them.