Couple questions....
How does one remove the wheel from the sector shaft? The pin looks to be peened? Drill it? Or better to replace the whole shaft? My sector shaft is fine, but the wheel has some slop.

I assume the new sector shaft bushings need to be reamed to size after pressing them in? What should the tolerance be?

Any links to a good steering box rebuild thread would be great too.

Thanks!

 

Hey Scott, I rebuilt my box about a year ago and it was pretty simple. Biggest thing is take your time with the adjustments!

The sector shaft is peened from what I remember, and they are no longer avail so if yours is ok you may want to leave it alone. Otherwise you'll be buying another used one and the play may be able to be adjusted out later.

The bushings will need to be reamed if new, but are most likely ok. So long as it always had oil in the box the shaft doesn't create much friction. There is no listed tolerance, so if it still fits snug it's good.

Van pelt has good directions for adjustment of the box; and also read the shop manual several times before and during adjustment.

Ford Flathead Steering Box Assembly and Adjustment

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ering-box.html

 

Other tools used to ream, and preload steering box.


Hi Scott, I was unable to get the pin out when I did mine a few years ago, and either could a local machine shop. I was lucky and only had wear on the worm gear which I just bought complete. I agree with Brian the box is simple to adjust with instructions . I used the red shop book. a book sold by most suppliers on rebuilding the steering box, and some threads I found on the net. I could send you the one sold by suppliers if you PM me. I used a fisherman's scale and a cheap reamer from HF to make the proper adjustments. I think a properly equipped machine shop could get the pin out of the sector gear without much trouble. EDIT, come to think on it I probably have copies of the threads I copied also.

 

GREAT BOOK, THIS IS WHAT I USED TO REBUILD THE STEERING BOX

 

Thanks guys, I found some good rebuild threads on here using the advanced search as well. I don't really want to remove the sector roller....but it has some side to side slop. If I leave it as is it will likely just get worse. Hopefully I can get the pin out without too much drama.
The sector bushings are shot for sure.

Jimmy, I have a reamer like those and a copy of the shop manual, thanks!

 

I took a die grinder with a small ball bur and ground around the pin.

You can buy a new wheel, pin, and spacers. However, here is a warning or some advice. Keep up with the old ones you remove. I would mic the thickness of the old spacers and the old wheel and don't lose those measurements.

The new assembly stack thickness was about 14 mils thicker than what I took out. The new wheel was thicker. So I couldn't just use the old ones. Fortunately, there is a machine shop about 300 yds up the street from my shop so I took the two new spacers up there and they charged me $20 to put them on a surface grinder and take 0.007" off each one. Then it went back together with ease. I could find no one who could tell me what the clearance was supposed to be. It isn't in the service manual and I searched the threads. Mine was about 2-3 mils lose.

I tack welded the new pin to the sector shaft.

The sector shaft bushings will have have extra stock and will need to be reamed. I have a reamer set identical to the ones Jimmy showed. However the bushing have a split line and when I did it it grabbed the split and tore up the bushing. I'm no machinist. I had to buy another one. I had the shop power hone them. He had the sector shaft with me and he worked it til it felt about a mil or two loose.

Good luck

Keith

 

Kieth, thanks for the info!

I finally got the pin out of the sector.....what a pain! Do new needle bearings come with the new wheel? I'm guessing they might be the source of the slop I had in the sector wheel assy..

Will order parts now that I know what I need

 

Mine did. I can't remember if I bought it from Mac's or Dennis Carpenter. I can't find the reciept

Keith

 

I bought one from Sacramento Vintage Ford when I rebuilt mine (4 or 5 years ago) and it also came with the needle bearings, and both spacers.

 

Pic: C is an F1.

 

Update...
So I got my new worm, roller and misc parts. To remove the worm from the shaft I simply cut it lengthwise 95% through with a cut off wheel. Then used a thin chisel to spread the cut......it fell right off. To install I put the worm in the oven and heated, and the shaft in the freezer. Tapped on with a block of wood. Easy Peasy.

The new roller and spacers were too thick, as mentioned, but using the old spacers it fit perfect. No slop!

Now for reassembly and adjusting.....

 

Thanks for the update Scott. I'm very curious to see how you secure the worm and sector gears onto there shafts. This is going to be a great how to thread, heck it already is. Thanks for sharing.