When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a '73 350 with power steering. It is leaking at the input shaft. Can the large locking nut be seal or is there something else I should be addressing. I filled the steering box with the recommended "grease", which is really just a heavy oil. A second question is if I can fill the box with EP grease, or such that is thicker? '73 steering box leak. About a month's worth of leak shown. I loosened the bolt on top after the leak found.
aftermarket rubber puck joint- has nothing to do with your lube question. Just not the best part
the old grease was probably sludge, gear oil should not be used as any type of oil will weep oil, new seal or old.
the lash screw is deep, too deep. Either the gears are worn, or the adjustment is wrong - or both.
the large nut is for preload, the ring locks it in place. Yes, I seal the threads but its not an on the car adjustment and given the condition of the box isn't going to worth removing the box just to seal the nut
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by Ralph Streeter
I have a '73 350 with power steering. It is leaking at the input shaft. Can the large locking nut be seal or is there something else I should be addressing. I filled the steering box with the recommended "grease", which is really just a heavy oil. A second question is if I can fill the box with EP grease, or such that is thicker? '73 steering box leak. About a month's worth of leak shown. I loosened the bolt on top after the leak found.
If it’s never been gone through, probably best to do a full rebuild. I was not surprised by what GTR found when he opened mine up!
Last edited by danthony; Aug 11, 2024 at 10:06 PM.
I found that my headers were too close to my steering box. As it got hot on longer drives, it built up pressure and oozed past the bottom seal. I had read, probably here, about drilling a very smal vent hole through the highest bolt on the cover to release this pressure. It worked for me. At first, grease would "boil" up out of the hole, untill after numerous drive cycles, it got to a level that the box liked. This tells me that the lube is working up to the top of the box when hot, lubeing everything inside.
A real bubba fix might be to add a little seal conditioner for a short time to see if it could soften up the shaft seal.
This has worked for me on my power steering in the past.
A common sight for me when opening an old or original 50–60-year-old box. There is no grease, it is a sludge, or it may be dried out grit. Regardless, regreasing is not going to help a box like this. It also had a buried lash screw in the cover. But the good news is it will be better than new soon.
Steering Box input shaft leaking
