Is there any adjustment on the steering box of a 1953 pickup? I have just overhauled the flathead and have taken the truck on a test run, only to find that I can barely keep it on my side of the road. I have play from about the 10 oclock to the 2 oclock position when on the road. Thanks for any help. Donald Bell

 

Should be an adjustment nut and screw on the engine side of the box. Back the locknut off and use a bent slotted screwdriver to turn adjustment screw in to tighten. Try 1/8 to 1/4 turns at a time. It is possible to get it to tight and damage the box. Plus you won't be able to turn the wheel. While your there, top off the oil in the box. Plug on top of box. I use 80/90 wt. in mine.

 

There are a number of places in your steering that can contribute to your steering wheel play and wandering. With a '53, all of them may be contributing. The steering gearbox itself is only a part of the problem. While it does have an adjustment of its mesh, I would not expect it is your only problem. Over-adjusting it will only help accellerate the end of the box's life.

The box has bushings on the pitman arm shaft that are too close together so that slight wear brings serious play in the system. (You can feel observe this play by having someone turn the wheel back & forth and watching the pitman arm.) Another internal problem is that the steering shaft bearings can have play - you will be able to feel that by pulling & pushing the steering wheel along the direction of the steering column. If the steering is smooth, but full of play, your actual steering worm may be OK. The box is not too hard to rebuild, but only if you have a bit of wrenching experience under your belt. New pitman arm bushings are relatively cheap, the steering shaft bearings more expensive, and the steering worm goes for more than $125.

When you look at the pitman arm play, also look at the drag link that connects to the steering arm on the left spindle for play at both ends. The final issue to deal with is the king-pins and their bushings. (You can feel the play by jacking up the wheel off the ground and attempting to shake the wheel in & out - top & bottom.) A king-pin job is a little tougher for a beginner, but there are threads discussing this - just search under "kingpins" or "king-pins". You can do part of the work and have a machine shop press in the new bushings and ream them. (I am doing king-pins on my '61 F-100 as soon as I get around to it . . .)

I know fixing just one of these sounds like work, but it is likely that all of them are contributing to your wandering. Take a good look at all the above and decide what appears to be the worse. Adjusting the box is an easy start, but it will probably only solve a small part of the problem.

 

Thanks a million for your help. I started checking for wear and play from the King-Pins back so it gives me some comfort knowing I had the right idea. Things seem O.K. (or as good as could be expected on my old truck) back to the steering box itself, but now I will check it out using your sugestions, before adjusting on the box. Maybe you could help me with another problem that has me puzzled. If I let the truck set for a few days without starting it I have to remove the fuel line between the fuel pump and the carburetor and prime it.I replaced the fuel pump thinking the gas was leaking back to the fuel tank through the fuel pump. I was wrong, replacing the fuel pump made no difference. Can the gas be draining through the carburetor while just sitting there? Oh one other observation that might help, I can see air in the sediment bowl every few seconds and the engine idles a little different when this happens. Thanks again for your help, I'm new at restoring trucks but I'm loving every minute, especially when I hear that old Flathead Idle. Don

 

1-TAAA-3524-A .. Shaft & Worm

1-B6C-3575-A .. Steering Sector

1-B-3552 .. Upper Steering Shaft Race

1-8A-3553-A .. Lower Steering Shaft Race

2-68-3571-A .. Upper/Lower Steering Shaft Bearings

2-81T-3576-A .. Sector Bushings

1-7RC-3581-A .. Sector Shaft Housing Gasket

1-B6A-3591-A .. Sector Housing Seal

 

Don,

I will assume your flathead is a V-8. I am a little rusty as my flathead experience was in a '50 Ford sedan back in the mid-sixties. Also I am a little confused about whether you are priming the fuel pump or the carb, so pardon me if I make the wrong assumptions. With a new pump, I will assume a carb problem, but even new parts can be defective (but not usually with the same problem/symptoms as the old one).

There are several ways the gasoline can leak out of the float bowl of the carb. One that can happen on any carb is a small flaw in the body of the float bowl. I am not certain what carb you have, but some have a power-valve that enriches the mixture when the vacuum drops. It is on the bottom or low on the side of the carb, but it has a small diaphram that has fuel on one side and vacuum (passage to the intake manifold). If the diaphram is bad, fuel can leak into the engine with no external sign. If no fuel shows up under the carb on the intake manifold, remove the carb and see if it is wet inside the manifold. If it is, you have some problem inside the carb. Let me know what your carb type is - there should be some letters on it. My favorites were the Chandler-Grove 94's but I am not sure what yours is.

If your truck sat in storage for a long time, the gaskets can dry out and shrink - this could also be your problem.

Sorry if I am a little uncertain, but it has been a long time since my flathead days - I still love that engine and would love to be there in person to help you trouble-shoot it.

 

Don,

I sent you a PM.
Bike