Steering box lube?
03-26-2009, 07:51 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
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Location: New Jersey. The deer ate my Garden State.
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Steering box lube?
Hi Guys, I need to add gear lube to my steering box in my '66. What's the recommended gear lube? Thanks.
03-26-2009, 11:00 AM
#2
Instructor
Steering box lube
Chassis lube. There was a posting a long while back about it but can't find it. Some fellows built up adapters to fill the box with out making a big mess. They took a bolt the same size as the fill check bolt, drilled a hole through the center and then drilled and tapped the top of the head to accept a Zerk fitting for a grease gun.
Wendell
Wendell
03-26-2009, 11:36 AM
#4
Race Director
I purchased a special steering box lube fitting from Paragon.....made the job easier. Others had made their own fitting, which works just as well.
If I recall correctly, I added about 1/4 tube to my steering box before it showed full. Made a big difference in steering feel when driving.
When adding the grease, I jacked up the front and moved the wheels side to side occassionally to help distribute the lube in the box.
Larry
EDIT: Paragon fitting was Part Number #8581. Cost about $18.00. Whatever tool or fitting you use, be sure to vent the steering box by removing a second bolt during filling.
Last edited by Powershift; 03-26-2009 at 11:48 AM.
03-26-2009, 01:29 PM
#5
Safety Car
Others will disagree with this but According to the owners manual:
Home made tool:
George
Home made tool:
George
03-26-2009, 02:35 PM
#7
Team Owner
I made up a fitting from some parts from NAPA works great!
03-26-2009, 03:04 PM
#8
Race Director
Frank:
That's a neat setup for the C1 box, but don't think it will fit Trophy's 1966.
However, you may get some inquiries from the C1 guys about how you made it. Maybe you can sell the design to Paragon or trade them for some parts
Larry
That's a neat setup for the C1 box, but don't think it will fit Trophy's 1966.
However, you may get some inquiries from the C1 guys about how you made it. Maybe you can sell the design to Paragon or trade them for some parts
Larry
03-26-2009, 04:58 PM
#9
Tech Contributor
If you over lube the box it will blow out a seal when the grease expands from heat.
03-26-2009, 07:42 PM
#10
Team Owner
In a C1 you can over grease it to the point that it comes out the horn button and oozes down onto the seat....don't know about a C2...
03-27-2009, 12:42 AM
#11
Safety Car
03-27-2009, 04:40 AM
#12
03-27-2009, 10:56 AM
#13
Race Director
For those of us that don't want to do this, or don't feel it is required, you can remove the two bolts that MAGIC showed in his picture, and slowly fill in one connection, move the front tires back and forth a bit with the front end off the ground, and keep adding until lube is just visable in the second hole. That's how I did it for my 1967 without issue, and is how it is described in Section 9 of the 1967 GM shop manual.
Section 9 did not say to move the wheels lock to lock. That was my addition to help remove any air and assist in filling a very dry steering box.
I keep track of the grease pumps as I add (about 20 pumps per ounce of grease for my grease gun). It took about 70 pumps......or around 4 oz....and steering box was pretty dry.
I would start to get concerned if it took much over this amount.
Larry
EDIT: After I took my car for a drive, I removed the two bolts again and looked in the box. There was a visible air gap, and it was not over-filled with grease. No problems one year later.
Last edited by Powershift; 03-27-2009 at 10:59 AM.
03-27-2009, 01:04 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
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Gary does it the correct/hard way: he takes the steering box apart and rebuilds it and greases it.
For those of us that don't want to do this, or don't feel it is required, you can remove the two bolts that MAGIC showed in his picture, and slowly fill in one connection, move the front tires back and forth a bit with the front end off the ground, and keep adding until lube is just visable in the second hole. That's how I did it for my 1967 without issue, and is how it is described in Section 9 of the 1967 GM shop manual.
Section 9 did not say to move the wheels lock to lock. That was my addition to help remove any air and assist in filling a very dry steering box.
I keep track of the grease pumps as I add (about 20 pumps per ounce of grease for my grease gun). It took about 70 pumps......or around 4 oz....and steering box was pretty dry.
I would start to get concerned if it took much over this amount.
Larry
EDIT: After I took my car for a drive, I removed the two bolts again and looked in the box. There was a visible air gap, and it was not over-filled with grease. No problems one year later.
For those of us that don't want to do this, or don't feel it is required, you can remove the two bolts that MAGIC showed in his picture, and slowly fill in one connection, move the front tires back and forth a bit with the front end off the ground, and keep adding until lube is just visable in the second hole. That's how I did it for my 1967 without issue, and is how it is described in Section 9 of the 1967 GM shop manual.
Section 9 did not say to move the wheels lock to lock. That was my addition to help remove any air and assist in filling a very dry steering box.
I keep track of the grease pumps as I add (about 20 pumps per ounce of grease for my grease gun). It took about 70 pumps......or around 4 oz....and steering box was pretty dry.
I would start to get concerned if it took much over this amount.
Larry
EDIT: After I took my car for a drive, I removed the two bolts again and looked in the box. There was a visible air gap, and it was not over-filled with grease. No problems one year later.
04-10-2009, 03:16 AM
#17
Drifting
)do not use 80-90 gear oil, use the same grease that you use for all the front suspension/steering linkage zirks.
that is a C2 box, while the C1 box can back up grease into the column, the C2 will not...
04-10-2009, 10:32 AM
#19
Tech Contributor
Here is why I don't like this method. I've found this with many boxes, grease looks full but nothing gets to the bearings as the old grease was caked dry blocking it. Other time way too much was pumped in and blew out the seals.
Good luck
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=113731
Good luck
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=113731
Last edited by GTR1999; 04-11-2009 at 09:03 AM.
04-10-2009, 08:11 PM
#20
Drifting
Gary,
Those pictures speak volumes as to why we should NOT trust our babies to the simple yet potentially bad grease zirk method. Especially with an older unit that probably hasn't been serviced in many, many years.....
Thanks for posting this,
RK
Those pictures speak volumes as to why we should NOT trust our babies to the simple yet potentially bad grease zirk method. Especially with an older unit that probably hasn't been serviced in many, many years.....
Thanks for posting this,
RK