Take lotsa pics, and do a write up of your rebuild please.

 

Do a write up on how not to do it, haha

Any chance you or someone else can message me instructions on adding pics here. All I can figure out is how to add the thumbnail pics and I'm only allowed or have room for 2 pics.

 

Upload your pics to someplace like photobucket, or imageshack. (you will have to create an account, no matter which you choose.) Then, the pics will give you various options for html code, or direct image links etc. Use the direct image links, and simply paste them into your post.

 

Are you rebuilding the box or just doing the pitman arm seals

 

Well I had intentions of rebuilding the box, about 3/4 way through I said screw this.............

I had to take the box to a shop and get the pitman arm pressed off. Brought it back and pulled the pitman shaft and upper/lower seals ect. That was the easy part, lol

I decided to pull out the piston rack end and have a look see, thats where it all got interesting. To do this you rotate the stub shaft and it pushes out the piston rack. Rotate it too far and exactly 24 ball bearings come out from inside the piston rack.............

So to make a long story short, I spent a couple hours sticking ball bearings back into where they came from and very gingerly reassembled the piston rack back into the housing.

At this point I have it all back together (hopefully, haha) and will install after supper tonight. I'll post pics of my little adventure hopefully tomorrow.

 

First thing to do is clear workbench, lol




I took out the steering box with the pitman arm attached after breaking a gear puller and a pitman arm puller. I took it to a shop to get it pressed off. They felt sorry for me and didn't charge me.....






Nasty looking schematic that came with the seal kit





The cover plate is unbolted and partially out.




Pitman shaft is out. You have to wiggle the stub shaft to pull out.




The upper and lower seals, washer and snap ring that was the cause of the leaking.





If the purpose of taking out the steering box is to fix the leak coming out of the pitman shaft, this is as far as you need to go. What didn't come with the seal kit is a dust cover that I found out about later......

 

You stick a small punch through a small hole in the body and pry the snap ring out. You then rotate the stub shaft which in turn pops off the end plug and then the rack piston.





The rack piston is out. The 24 small ball bearings that fell out where a surprise.



Parts all degreased and shiny.



The body and end plug o-ring.



To remove the rotary gear, you use a punch to loosen the lock nut. There is an adjuster plug behind this that rotates out using the same punch. It was at this point that I finally figured out I was in over my head and decided to start reassembling.




Pitman shaft going back into body with new metal cover gasket.

All went back together and back into the truck. (much easier than taking it out, haha) Filled it up with steering fluid and off for a test drive. My steering system must have been air locked because the steering was next to seized. Worse than the old arm strong steering.

I parked it for the night all dejected as I thought I had messed up the box somehow. The airlock must have broke during the night because the next day the steering box was just fine.

Thats how to fix a leaking steering box the hard way...

 

It's just the same to buy a remanufactured gear box. They inspect the gears and replace them if needed and add new seals. Since it is power assisted and not manual steering, the gears are rarely damaged unless abused after the power steering goes out. Buy it from napa they warranty it just as well as a new gear box.

 

Not completely true. A fair number of the Reman boxes are actually in worse condition when you get them, than the box on your truck it is replacing. (a search here will confirm this..... several folks have gotten reman boxes, and had WORSE steering.)

If you are going to replace the box, get a NEW one. A fair few of the re-manufacturers don't replace, or even spec out the gears that actually mechanically connect the steering wheel, to the pitman arm.