I hate to knock something everyone in here likes but it has been my experience as a mechanic that all rebuilders do pretty much the same thing and Redhead just advertises more plus they have that catchy little Redhead name with paint added to match. All they do to those boxes is regrind the worn parts, and add a few new parts like the steel ***** and bushings. I think the price is where it is due to all the hype. Nobody is going to make new worm gears out of titanium or machine a new steel billet case, etc. They all get them used from wherever they can and do what they have to for it to work well again. I look more at the length and conditions of the warrantee, and like Christina said; do they have a record of backing it up?. I might add that my stock PS box has 165k miles on it, never been adjusted, and is tight as a drum.

 

I know you have a solid box after many miles, but most ford truck owners aren't that lucky. Must be your good living , I think for someone with 80k and junk box they are willing to try something new and "hopefully better" to see if they can get a better return for their dollar.

Again Brent - MANY thanks for your help with this one. You pressed me to track down exactly what the cause was, prompting me to take all those videos and that really expedited things with RH. In this case, pics and it did happen.

 

Redhead is shipping my replacement box today, should have it by Friday. So looks like I need to go print my own "for dummies" write up on it and refresh my memory. I sure hope it cools off some before the weekend, sheesh it's hot out there.

 

That box is junk. There should be almost no play between the shaft and arm.

 

Installed the new box today and ended up changing one of the lines. When I took the larger line off there were obvious signs of metal ground up around the oring. So I replaced the entire line. I am guessing this was something that failed inside the gearbox and is what took out PS pump.

On a positive note I was able to get my pitman arm off myself this time (had a local shop do it the first time) took a little force and the beater truck as a hold down but got it done.

So much better driving. Will get a video of the steering shaft tomorrow to show everyone the difference and how it should be...about 1/8 to 1/4" of slack in the input shaft now compared to 2-3" before.

 

Great news. Glad you got it swapped out ok too.

 

Sammie...............you are an awesome chicka for doing this stuff!! I have only known 2 women in my whole life that ventured into what you do in the garage! You and a gal I went to engineering school with!

Glad the box swap worked for you. Now you did flush the system when you changed the line out right?

 

+1 on that.

 

Well wasn't planning on it when I started; until I saw the metal carnage in the line. I was covered in ATF and didn't feel like stopping to go look up a how too, so with the line open I took the belt loose and filled the reservoir and hand rotated the pump pulley and let it flow. Was hard to tell new from old since I had just replaced the pump the week before so I just did that until I had run another two quarts through and I had 2 1/2 int he bucket I was using, so there was another 1/2 quart in the pump and lines that didn't drain on it's own when I took the gearbox out. Then I hooked up all the lines, filled it again, cranked the pulley a few more times, connected the belt, added a little more then started it and did the lock to lock bleed thing. Will say this time I got a lot less air than I did when did my gearbox the 1st time.

Googled it later once I was clean and realized the easy way would have been to pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine but oh well

 

I just put the rebuilt PS pump in and drove it around the block and it was fine. I don't think any of those other precautions were necessary. No new lines, priming the pump, turning anything, adding oil, nothing. I did turn it lock to lock as soon as I saw some gravel.

 

You need to buy lottery tickets cus you have the best luck with parts. Issues I have had I'm going to be diligent, all my pump noise is now gone. I don't even have a hiss at full turn. Whatever happened inside that red head is what took my pump out, be interested to see what they find.

 

You might have to remind them. I don't know if there are any filters in that circuit either. Now they owe you for a PS pump plus labor to r&r it, plus labor to r&r the PS box, plus emotional stress compensation. If it was their fault (which it appears to be) I'm sure they won't cop to it. I don't see them saying; "Yea somebody left a part out so it ground itself up and parts got into your PS pump".

"Oh that box, it was good but it musta' got some power steering pump debris in it"

 

I added an inline filter ahead of the PS cooler on mine.

 

Great informative thread. I have to say simply based on the fact they don't allow the box to be adjusted and the amount of video proof they seem to require for a warranty replacement, I'll probably stay away from them when mine fails. You should have been able to call them, tell them it's got to much play and you'd like to replace it. an over the phone discription of the play should have been enough. I've never come across a company that required their customers to provide that kind of proof for a warrenty replacement. MAYBE for a full refund, but not an exchange.....of a rebuilt product....which they will take the exchange back and rebuild again...

kudos on your effort though.

 

i like the filter idea.