Power Steering Box Input Shaft Seal, 72?

[72SB]

Have a replacement steering box for the last year and now input shaft seal is leaking. Works great otherwise.

Aside from removing the box, is that seal replaceable without box disassembly?

[68 P.O.S.]

No, it's not. Here's a good thread to help you understand what you need to do: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=619634

[PbFut]

That is the thread I followed to do my box last year. Easy to do and not a drip since. I did have a issue with one of the seals not coming out and needed to put my press to work. Other than needing to fiddle with the press setup on a unfamiliar part, all went well.

[72SB]

I will check my receipt...maybe its under warranty if its 12 months as I bought it less than a year ago

If not I will try the fix in bottle as the leak is extremely small but annoying

Up until the other day, it was fine.

Watched a video, not rocket science but I need the tool with the 2 pins or make one.

[StingRay]

I replaced one in my old 72 about 25 years ago. it wasn't a super easy job but I've done a lot worse jobs.

[v30crewcab]

if you take out the snapring, and drill I tiny hole in the seal, you can twist a screw into the seal and pull them out. If you do unscrew the whole large piece out, make sure you hold the top of the input shaft in the box so it doesn't unscrew with the seal holder.

[72SB]

The link in post 2 is very helpful. The input shaft seal(s) are where it leaks. The pitman shaft is bone dry and pitman arm is new

sucks on a year-old box it leaks but the input shaft seal looks fairly straight forward to replace. Removing the box itself I know how to do as I put it in.

With this said...the Lucas stop leak may have worked although I suspect not for long

[72SB]

I don't have a pitman arm puller, so I measured the splined shaft part of pitman spline in box and get 1.56".

Loaner or cheapo HF look like this one but jaw opening is not enough to clear spline on box

https://www.harborfreight.com/tie-ro...ler-63684.html

loaner tool is 1 3/16" jaw opening ...looks to small. Not finding larger size jaws...?

also in searching input shaft seal kit for my 72, the part # is not what link shows in post 2. Its Edelman 7095 when I look up on AZ or Rockauto. The OP posted this so just get the seal kit for your specific year.

Just circling the wagons for parts &tools before I pull box. I do have a pin spanner and snap ring pliers.

[72SB]

well on further review....I looked at my receipt for steering box and it still is under warranty so will just replace the box vs seal.

Also, IIRC the steering shaft is collapsible so I would think, just to replace input shaft seal, I can just unbolt rag joint, slide shaft away and R&R input shaft seal with box installed. If so, that is what I would have done if box was still not under warranty. Its 11 months old reman so under the 12 month warranty.

[72SB]

Want to wrap this thread up and give a big thumbs up to the shop that installed it 11 months ago.

I have wrenched on all my cars since I was 15. At 71 now sometimes my body is against some of this work. Not the case when I was going to do the steering box but ironically at that time not long after I bought the 72 I had collected all the brake parts for that job (the brakes were the original brakes). I also had a steering box leak which was also sloppy and wanted the shop I use to do alignments to check out A arms, suspension, etc.

I come home in the truck one Saturday to find 2" of water in my house which resulted in a full home remodel. This took several months with my garage full of everything in my house so the truck and my other hobby cars were relegated to driveway and street while I moved from room to room sleeping on a mattress and living off 1 bathroom while entire house was being remodeled. yeah when all flooring is replaced anything touching the floor needs to go away....which is everything in the house.

So I take my 72 full of parts for brakes to the shop I have gone to for years for alignment and suspension work and to eliminate needing to shuffle all the cars from street to driveway and back as remodel involved moving walls which required 1/2 the garage to be emptied for that but at night I could at least get 2 cars back in it. Its a one man shop. Owner, Jerry, is a solid guy, No BS and knows his stuff. He says I need upper A arm shafts, pitman arm, steering box. this is all during pandemic, so parts are hard to get. A "new" box was not cheap and 4 months out so we went with an available reman. All was good but 11 months out the reman box input shaft started to leak.

I swing buy the shop just to ask ? about pulling the box as I now had my garage back and have changed boxes before on other cars. I wanted to borrow his pitman arm puller as I had the other tools to do seals. Jerry says just get a new box, its under warranty. I said sure just call when it comes in and I will pick it up. He says no he will install because its under warranty. I said great but I assume the part is warranty but not labor and I am fine doing the work as I know his labor is valid and worth $ and it was not his fault the reman leaks. He says no his labor is included and insists he do it. Well I let him do it and stayed while he did it as he said its only a hour to R&R it. Obviously having the rack and WAY more tools than I he methodically started, and I watched. He knew exactly what wrench or socket to use and made short work of it but was pulled away dealing with other customers and phone. He test drove it 3 times putting truck back up on lift to get steering wheel dead nuts straight as it was off just a tick and he is just the kind of guy who won't let the truck go until its right. Topped off fluid and said you are good to go.

I take out my wallet and said his labor is worth $ and it is not his faut the reman box leaks. He says no but I insist, and he reluctantly accepted cash. I am not rich but can afford it and to me finding a shop who stands by their work is rare.

If you live near Simi Valley, CA the shop is on Industrial E of Tapo St called JABEAR (no sign). Jerry is a no BS guy who does solid work and stands by it. He shakes his head on what some parts are these days. He said he uses this supplier vs chain auto part stores as he feels their stuff is better but unfortunately remans from them can fail sooner than they should also, but he stands by his work. Yes, fortunately there are still good shops out there. Hope you have one near you also.

[Palf70Step]

Good to hear. Great to find a shop like that!