so i found a plate on my steering box and want to ask if anyone could tell me what it means. i was going to tighten up my steering and had to spray down the bolt so i could lossen it up and found it. could it be the one that was supposed to be under the ignition coil?



where it was at.



Thanks guys

 

The ID tag found on the coil bracket (many are missing today) ID's the engine size when decoded, but this ain't it.

The tag on the steering gearbox ID's the gearbox: HCD-B, B1 = C5TZ-3504-D .. 1965 F100/250 2WD manual steering gearbox.

5M23C is related to the assembly plant and the date the steering gearbox was assembled. 5M is FoMoCo related only, 23C is March 23, 1965.

1966 F100/250 2WD: The tag for C5TZ-3504-D could be HCD-B, B1 or SMA-E or SMA-H.

Do not mess with the adjustment nut on the gearbox! All it does is...it sets the preload for the sector shaft.

If you tighten that puppy up, the steering gearbox may lock up tight. When this occurs, backing that nut off may not free up the sector, so you aren't going anywhere.

Play in the steering wheel on trucks of this vintage is common and can be caused by multiple factors. Worn: tie rods, tie rod ends, draglink, king pins, steering shaft & worm, sector shaft and/or sector shaft bushings.

The steering coupler that attaches the steering column shaft to the input shaft (steering shaft & worm) of the steering gearbox may be defective. Its rubber coupler can tear apart. If this occurs, you have NO steering!

 

I'd contact Red Head steering gear in Seattle for a rebuild.

 

thanks for the heads up guys.
i didnt touch it so far and i wont now.
just wish there was a way to get the slop out of the steering without spending to much lol

 

I had one of those couplers tear apart on a 66 F250 while I was moving luckly I was just backing out of the drive way. Pretty scary and I can only imagine what that would be like at speed.