Steering box & idler

[sweet124]

Will I just redone the front end so I was woundering if the steering box and idler had any oil.I could not see the level once I removed the filler plugs so I would like to know what type of oil to use in both and how much to put in it.Do you fill it to the top of the filler hole.Thanks

[mbouse]

80-90 gear oil is what I use. yes, there is a filler cap with a square head.

[drumbeater]

I'm doing the same thing right now. How do you correctly diagnose whether the box and idler are ok?

DB

[manoa matt]

I find those filler holes too small to be practicle, I removed the covers when filling mine, I also wanted to drain/suck out any old oil or foreign materials. Of course the intake manifold, starter, and master cylinder can be in the way of the steering box.

If you have a complete engine gasket set, it will include the gaskets for the idler and steering box cover. If not you can pick up some gasket material at a local parts store and cut the gaskets yourself. I think the idler box has an "O" ring also.

As for assesment, jack up the front of the car and propperly support it. Move the steering wheel all the way to the stop points. You should not feel any tightness, binding, scraping, or crunching noises especially at the end of travel near the stop points.

With the front wheels on the ground the steering wheel should have 1 inch of free play from side to side untill you feel the resistance of the wheels.

The adjustment post and nut are at the center of the cap plate for the steering box. You may have a black plastic cover over them. To take up free play, you hold the center post from moving with a large slotted screwdriver while loosening the locking nut. Turn the post with the screw driver untill you have 1 inch of free travel. I think its clockwise to take up slack. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong, don't have my manual in front of me.)

I believe the correct level for the steering box is 1/2 inch below the cover plate, use a wood dowel to check the level. Idler is about the same.

[drumbeater]

I have everything out on the bench. I'm "renovating" my engine bay and have the engine pulled all the other stuff out. I can't test them by steering back and forth, I'll just move the around and see how they feel. I'll go ahead and crack them open to make sure there is no metal chips floating around in there.

[ventura ace]

Out on the bench is even better than in the car. Basically, it should be adjusted to eliminate any free-play of the steering box in the center position, but not tight enough to cause binding. The steering box gears are designed to be their tightest in the center position, with increasing amount of play as you move away from center.

The procedure I used, with steering box held in a bench top vise, was to rotate the steering input shaft back and forth through the center range while slowly tightening the adjustment screw until just a slight amount of resistance in the center position is felt, then lock the adjustment screw.

Does your steering box leak oil? If so, this would be a good time to replace the seal.

Alvon

[drumbeater]

No leaks I've noticed. I cleaned it up in the parts washer and with a wire brush. Both parts look almost new.

John