Rebuilt steering box adjust?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Lincolnshire,ENGLAND
Rebuilt steering box adjust?
Recently bought a rebuilt steering gear box from a large corvette parts suppliers for my '77 vette with power steering.
No instructions with it but says in the catalog its adjusted to factory tolorences when rebuilt.
when i installed it the steering felt very stiff at first.Feels fine now when first moving from a stand still and feels just right at highway speeds,but after a drive(when box has warmed up) the steering feels hard to move on the spot-like a heavy non power steering car does!
Also noticed small amount of lube seeping out from seal and also coming out from adjuster screw?
Is this normal,does this sound like its adjusted to tight?,or that its just rammed with grease?
Should i back the adjuster off a few turns? steering feels fine at driving speeds.
No instructions with it but says in the catalog its adjusted to factory tolorences when rebuilt.
when i installed it the steering felt very stiff at first.Feels fine now when first moving from a stand still and feels just right at highway speeds,but after a drive(when box has warmed up) the steering feels hard to move on the spot-like a heavy non power steering car does!
Also noticed small amount of lube seeping out from seal and also coming out from adjuster screw?
Is this normal,does this sound like its adjusted to tight?,or that its just rammed with grease?
Should i back the adjuster off a few turns? steering feels fine at driving speeds.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,175
Likes: 3,985
From: Connecticut, USA
If the box was rebuilt with Mobil 1 grease the seepage is normal. For some reason,I'm sure a chemist would know, this grease separates a little after being used. I use it on the boxes, rear bearings, suspensions I rebuild and found that too. Now I haven't had a box leak yet or rear bearings either. I have seen some of the "catalog" boxes and they were less then impressive. A few guys sent them to me to adjust and check and all they were refilled with grease and painted. they never were adjusted,in this case too loose. I'mnot saying this is your problem and I hope it's not. To properly set this up they should be done with a inch pound dial wrench. If the gears are still good and the box set you'll feel the box snug up on center and loosen back up toward each end of travel. Maybe it's over adjusted-sounds like it. The temp range should play that much if the job was done right.
Are you sure the problem isn't in the control valve or pump? Did you call the place you bought it from to see what they will do?
If you need help, let me know.
Good luck,
Gary
Are you sure the problem isn't in the control valve or pump? Did you call the place you bought it from to see what they will do?
If you need help, let me know.
Good luck,
Gary
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
I just rebuilt my own (80 bucks for seals and bearings) and the adjustment of output shaft is somewhat critical. Book says tighton the adjuster until you get 3-4 in-lbs if torque to turn the shaft. The shop manual has a good write up on adjustments. I'd try backing the adjuster off maybe a quarter of a turn (it doesn't take much) to see what happens. The lube that came with the kit was some kind of greenish/blue 90 weight stuff that was for steering gear boxes. I haven't noticed any leaks.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Lincolnshire,ENGLAND
Hey-thanks for the info guys.
gtr1999, interesting what you say about it snuging up on centre,their is definatly a notch at dead center i can feel through the steering wheel-and when i had it in my hands before install.
I know their's an ol'school method of ramming it with grease to tighten it up-which causes it to feel realy stiff on a cold morning,but mines the opposite?
Vendor says its adjusted correctly @ rebuild and its my hydrolic system.Before i installed the new box i installed new hoses/controll valve/ss sleeved cylinder/tie rod ends etc.flushed and filled with dextron II.Pump seems fine,only problem before install was the massive amount of play in original box that wouldnt adjust out.
duke94,the colour of the lube coming out looks identical to the colour of dextron II ?
my shop manual says a small amount of seepage from lower seal is ok,but the fact that its coming from every orifice,and the box feels tight is a bit alarming !
I think i'll back it off a 1/4- see how it feels,after 3/4 i'll do as my shop manual tells me and disconnect at the pitman arm and adjust, checking torque at steering shaft.
I really wish now that i had rebuilt the old one myself,then you know where you are with it.re-built everything else myself but after 2 yrs off the road i got impatiant, DAMN.
gtr1999, interesting what you say about it snuging up on centre,their is definatly a notch at dead center i can feel through the steering wheel-and when i had it in my hands before install.
I know their's an ol'school method of ramming it with grease to tighten it up-which causes it to feel realy stiff on a cold morning,but mines the opposite?
Vendor says its adjusted correctly @ rebuild and its my hydrolic system.Before i installed the new box i installed new hoses/controll valve/ss sleeved cylinder/tie rod ends etc.flushed and filled with dextron II.Pump seems fine,only problem before install was the massive amount of play in original box that wouldnt adjust out.
duke94,the colour of the lube coming out looks identical to the colour of dextron II ?
my shop manual says a small amount of seepage from lower seal is ok,but the fact that its coming from every orifice,and the box feels tight is a bit alarming !
I think i'll back it off a 1/4- see how it feels,after 3/4 i'll do as my shop manual tells me and disconnect at the pitman arm and adjust, checking torque at steering shaft.
I really wish now that i had rebuilt the old one myself,then you know where you are with it.re-built everything else myself but after 2 yrs off the road i got impatiant, DAMN.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
Likes: 0
I went through the same process as you. Started messing with the adjuster screw, against GTR1999's advice. Had to seperate the pitman arm from the p/s control valve to adjust it right. Don't use a pickle fork to seperate it as you'll tear the boot on the control valve. Use a puller instead. It will fit in there if you turn the steering wheel just so. My .02 worth.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Lincolnshire,ENGLAND
Originally Posted by 69monzaredbigblock
Don't use a pickle fork to seperate it as you'll tear the boot on the control valve. Use a puller instead.
Yeh-Tell me about it,after renewing all the hydrolic stuff, controll valve etc. thats what highlighted the old box being bad,so i did the above when installing the new box-just tore the boot slightly,wasnt happy with it so i orderd a c/valve rebuild kit and just installed the boot and retainer. I couldnt seem to get a puller in there though? And i broke 2 pullers trying to remove pitman arm from box!-was well tight.Thats why i'll try adjusting it a couple of 1/4 turns with it all still attached before going down that road again.
Cheers
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Lincolnshire,ENGLAND
Originally Posted by gtr1999
Interesting, you had no more adjustment before the rebuild,did they install new gears?
Gary
Gary
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