Trying to adjust slop in steering wheel. My question is can i use heat /torch to try and loosen stubborn nut on steering box. Will heating nut hurt any thing in box ?

 

Are we supposed to guess or read your mind on what year and chassis you're trying to "fix"?

 

Do not use a torch
It is a sealing nut, with a teflon ring, like a cheesy lock nut
Yes, they are tight
Do not crank that sector shaft adjustment down too tight
You will get sticky steering as the sector will be binding up
Give it a quarter turn, and try that, use 1/4 turn increments
Road test each time to verify the steering returns to center from a turn
Only the well hammered ones need an adjustment after about 150k miles

 

If you are going to use the book method, you need to start with clean threads and a new nut
You will find the breakaway torque to exceed the spec just to move it 1/4 turn
We had to do it in school but good luck with that
Here is page 10 out of a TRW book
It is a heavy truck gear, but roughly the same as yours, and (every other box) Mercedes, Silverado

 

 

 

If I understand this process over-tightening the adjustment screw can cause quick damage to the steering box necessitating its replacement.

 

That is my understanding too JWA. There is a TSB for the 1988 E150 about needing to adjust the steering gear after so many miles. Mine was never done till I had about 140k on mine. I started with a 1/4 turn and then test drove it. The last 2 times was a 1/8th turn and one of them felt too tight when driving. I remember reading in the manual about using a inch pound torque wrench on the steering wheel nut but don't remember if that is with the wheels off the ground and perhaps wheels off or the drag link disconnected from the pitman arm. I do remember there was a certain torque spec though. When I get my 85 up here, that will give me a spare and I may try rebuilding the gear box.
There is still just a little play in my 88 gear box but I worry that it may be too tight because it steers so good now! According to the TSB, mine left the factory a bit too loose so maybe it hasn't worn the same as one that was tight from the factory. I have read many different ways to do this. i remember at my dads shop there was a special wrench tool that had the socket with flat head bit in the middle of it made for adjusting the gear boxes

Edit: below is a thread on how to do it on a newer van. If I remember the process is about the same on the older vans but the torque may be different.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...one-right.html

 

If its sloppy, its worn out, you can not adjust it out with that jam nut, what you can do it destroy the internals messing with it, time for a new box.

 

what is the best box to buy for replacement in a 92 E350?

 

A good junkyard gear that you reseal / overhaul yourself
That is better than most rebuilds
If you cannot do it
Take the gear to the dealer to be overhauled

 

I did a ton of research on this and from all the learning I did, I came away believing Blue Top is the best option for rebuilding these boxes. You do have to send your box in to them though as they don't have an off the self box for our vans.

You can tighten/adjust the sector shaft, but the looseness can also come from the grooves for the bearings being worn, which makes no amount of adjusting the sector shaft effective. It can help, but only to a certain point.

A lot of the others are crap re-mans. Blue Top addresses all of the issues. I can go into more detail if you have questions. I've heard decent things about Red Head, too, but not as good as Blue Top.

 

Have you checked into Red Head steering boxes? Several people here highly recommend them. If you have checked into them, let us know what your thoughts are between Red Head and Blue Top.




Below is a post from NumberDummy

F3TZ-3504-A (replaced E1TZ-3504-A) .. Ford/Saginaw P/S Gearbox / Obsolete (Ford replaced it w/a rebuilt gearbox).

1981/96 F100/350, Bronco & Econoline.

The Ford/Saginaw P/S gearbox was introduced in 1965 Galaxie/LTD and has a flaw, there are no bearings on the sector shaft, it rides on the bare housing.

So before too long, fluid begins leaking from the sector shaft seal.

Red Head Steering Gears (Seattle WA) takes the housing, machines it to install the needle bearings that FoMoCo omitted, so they could sell a gazillion sector shaft seal kits!

Auto parts store so-called "rebuilt" gearboxes are nothing more than resealed gearboxes.

There's an old saying in the parts biz: Buy the best and cry only once.

__________________
Bill / Retired Ford Parts Manager // 2022 Escape SEL // Facebook: William Wilson
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post17777936

 

There is a place that rebuilds them, uses premium parts, I can't recall the name, its here in the US, I think its Red Head.

 

The short story is that Red Head isn't what they used to be according to some folks. I've heard BT was founded by ex-Red Head people. I spent way too much time researching (I had a lot of free time last winter) and read countless forum posts and some people complained about their product. No one had any issues with Blue Top.

I can link you to what I learned if you really want, but basically I think Red Head is probably still fine, I'd just lean toward Blue Top.