I have a seal that is l believe is leaking around the input shaft. Does anyone have any experiences with the putting in seal kits? What is involved, and does anyone have any info, links etc. on steps necessary to replace? Thanks!!

 

Check out the cost of a reman unit. Sometimes by the time you round up the repair kit, special tools and screw up the first one, you would have been further ahead to replace the gear. These are heavy and you do not want to have to do this job more than once. I use an engine hoist to control the gear until I get a couple of bolts started. Then again, steering fluid is cheap. I always core the gear if I have any doubt about its reliability.

 

The steering gear box will need to be removed and dismantled with the pitman arm removed, to install new seals and bearings.

 

The gearbox is working fine, just leaking fluid. I can get a upper input kit and sector shaft kit for under $30. I pulled the 4 bolts on the input side and it comes out about 3/4 and then stops. I can't completely remove it from the housing as something is catching. It does still have the pitman arm attached. Seems like once I take out those 4 bots the housing would come off the input shaft. How does it come off?

 

Turn the steering shaft to center.

Before removing pitman arm, mark the pitman arm and shaft for alignment purposes, this will make the installation of the pitman arm onto the shaft easier.

Will need to remove the pitman arm with a pitman arm remover.

Does the either of the kits come with new bearings?

 

Not sure, I actually don't have the kit yet. I think there are kits with other parts, not sure what all this kit has. It is a bearing or a bushing?

 

Honestly, let it leak and keep the area clean with Gunk! Wait until you can snag a re-man unit off e-bay or here in the classifieds, then swap it out. These things are so heavy you do not want to do this job twice. You will need a pitman arm puller (loaner from Advanced Auto) and a hoist or a strong friend to help.

 

You need to have it off the truck, to get the shaft out you pull the sector shaft up through the top cover after you take off the Pitman Arm.

Then the input shaft will pull out and now the fun begins.

To get the worm and valve assembly out of the valve housing you have to loosen the set screw and then take a lockout wrench tool and back the locknut all the way out and the worm and valve assembly will then come out. At this point I think there were round ***** all over the floor. Then you would go about replacing the Pressure seal, Dust seal by removing the snap ring first.

At this point I put it back to gather as best I could and used it for a core and put a rebuilt unit in.

I know this is not what you wanted to hear but you asked for a response from someone who has tried to do it.

I still have the unused kits.

 

10-4 gotcha. Parts yard has one for $75, might go ahead and pick that up and keep this one as a backup.

 

75 for used is to much. A remanufactured unit with warrenty is around 150 or less. Used around here go for 20-30 bucks. These are trouble free gears you will not need a backup. I'd just core the leaker and get a permanent solution to this problem.

 

Are you in Powder Springs, GA, William? I'm in Dothan, AL, which is only about 15 miles from GA line. Maybe I could get a used one over there.

 

73FOMO, You need to bring your tools and come over to Pull-A-Part of I 285 at Moreland road in south Atlanta. You can find PS gears (sometimes fresh rebuilds ) for 25 bucks. I got a good 75 column and PS gear for less than 50 bucks over there last week. Yesterday I scored a 460 Van oil pan, dipstick, pump, pickup and a exhaust manifold for 60 bucks. Worked my butt off but the weather was nice and laying under the van in the shade was relaxing. Best times is any day except weekends. They are open from 6-6 7 days a week. Make a list of what you need, gather the tools and come on down!

 

Awesome! I may arrange for a trip up your way, I need a road trip anyway.

 

William, do they have a bunch of parts trucks to pull from on 73-79 year models.

 

Pull-A-Part takes vehicles that are not sold when dealer auctions end and vehicles that are donated to various groups for tax purposes but that are not road worthy. They pay scrap weight value (currently less than 35 bucks a ton). The vehicles are sorted by manufacturer and placed on safety stands (wheels welded together). They have about 40 acres in Atlanta. Customers pay a dollar to browse the inventory and may pull any part they like. These parts usually go for around core value. A fender is a fender. Doesn’t matter if its a 66 F100 or an 89 Lincoln the price is the same. Currently there are about 50 Ford trucks in the Moreland yard. This company has another yard north of Atlanta that I have not visited. Pull-A-Part is on the web. Be advised that their inventory especially on older vehicles is not 100% accurate. A 66 F100 may be listed as a 77 F100 or a 61 listed as a 66. You gotta go look! I have seen trucks go through this process that should have been restored. Parts are plentiful and really cheap. I paid 22.34 for a 75 Ford automatic column complete. I paid 23.87 for a PS gear from the same truck, but it is listed on my receipt as a power steering pump. They have a hoist y0u can rent to pull an engine. They do not sell complete vehicles. They will sell you a cab or a frame or a truck bed, just not all from the same truck. Good hunting!