I removed the input shaft seal but to install the new input shaft seal does the shaft have to be removed from the box or is it possible to slide the seal over the shaft and tap it into place? How does the shaft come out anyway?
BTW, I impacted the 30mm nut off the pitman arm but still can't get the pitman arm off to install the lower seal, I heard its a tough one? Any tips? Thanks.
Steering box seal installation?
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azygoustoyou
Re: Steering box seal installation?
I still have to tend to my steering box too. Once you figure it out. Please take pic's and let us know what you did. Thx 
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manoa matt
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:28 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider 1800
- Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Re: Steering box seal installation?
You need a pitman arm puller. It's like a fixed 2 jaw puller, you local auto parts store may rent them for free if you pay a deposit. They look like this: http://www.google.com/images?q=pitman+a ... 80&bih=949
Place a dab of paint on a mutual area of the pitman arm and the splined shaft so you can be sure they index together the same way they came apart.
If you can find a small enough one, they work great to pop out the tie rod ends without damaging them.
You can remove and replace the seals while the input and output shafts are still in the box. Either use a flat blade screw driver to pry it out, or use a self tapping sheet metal screw into the face of the seal and then use a pry bar to pull it out via the screw head. Slide the new seal over the shaft and tap evenly around the edges to install it. Or get a section of pipe that is just smaller than the diameter of the seal, and longer than the shaft and tap it in.
The shaft can come out, however of the 5-6 Fiat manuals only the older version of the Haynes manual (up to 74) covers in depth the overhaul of the steering box. I'm not sure if the newer Haynes manual (up to 78) has the procedure detailed.
Place a dab of paint on a mutual area of the pitman arm and the splined shaft so you can be sure they index together the same way they came apart.
If you can find a small enough one, they work great to pop out the tie rod ends without damaging them.
You can remove and replace the seals while the input and output shafts are still in the box. Either use a flat blade screw driver to pry it out, or use a self tapping sheet metal screw into the face of the seal and then use a pry bar to pull it out via the screw head. Slide the new seal over the shaft and tap evenly around the edges to install it. Or get a section of pipe that is just smaller than the diameter of the seal, and longer than the shaft and tap it in.
The shaft can come out, however of the 5-6 Fiat manuals only the older version of the Haynes manual (up to 74) covers in depth the overhaul of the steering box. I'm not sure if the newer Haynes manual (up to 78) has the procedure detailed.
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Fiat88
Re: Steering box seal installation?
Ended up bringing the box to my mechanic and one of his guys got it off in a few minutes, not sure how he did it, though. He didn't charge me but he'll get me down the road. 
The other day, I removed the input shaft seal using a flat head screw driver and tin snips lol, then while I was at advanced Auto i decided it was a good idea to pick up a seal puller tool by autocraft. Today after i came home from getting the pitman arm pulled, I used the seal puller and removed the lower leaky old seal. My friend helped me tap the 2 new seals in using a deep 32mm axil nut socket for the lower seal and a long extension pipe to a floor jack for the input shaft seal which slid over the shaft.
So, tomorrow I'm gonna fill her up with some redline differential 90w oil and see how it feels.
The other day, I removed the input shaft seal using a flat head screw driver and tin snips lol, then while I was at advanced Auto i decided it was a good idea to pick up a seal puller tool by autocraft. Today after i came home from getting the pitman arm pulled, I used the seal puller and removed the lower leaky old seal. My friend helped me tap the 2 new seals in using a deep 32mm axil nut socket for the lower seal and a long extension pipe to a floor jack for the input shaft seal which slid over the shaft.
So, tomorrow I'm gonna fill her up with some redline differential 90w oil and see how it feels.
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Fiat88
Re: Steering box seal installation?
Matt,Place a dab of paint on a mutual area of the pitman arm and the splined shaft so you can be sure they index together the same way they came apart.
I marked the mutual area but then I noticed after the pitman arm was off that it is already indexed because the splined shaft/ pitman arm has one larger tooth which is a different size then the rest of the teeth. Unless i'm completely wrong.