R/B'ing PS Gear Box My Self, easy or not

[ck5566]

Like the title said How easy is it to rebuild a power steering gear box, any special tools needed? #'s are 7802644 with top Alum inspection covers #'s 5686555. Not real sure how to read the date codes from ether if needed. Is there any exploded view diagrams any where? any help would be appreciated

[kwmech]

Well..........let's say I've been a mechanic for the past 40+ years. I took one apart about 25 years ago ---spool valve, ball bearings and everything, not going to do that again...ever. (Just didn't have the patience) I will however not give a second thought to resealing one or swapping out a sector shaft. Much easier for me to buy a rebuilt with a guarantee/warranty.

[SS Tim]

Did you look at the GM factory chassis service and overhaul manuals?

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Did you look at the GM factory chassis service and overhaul manuals?

If the GM Factory Manual was an Original Book (Published around 68) I'd love to own one, being most of the ones I see and hear of is a Printing of a Printing book being not the best quality of the information printed on the pages. You know like real Blurry. To answer you No I haven't looked at a Service Overhaul Manual

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Well..........let's say I've been a mechanic for the past 40+ years. I took one apart about 25 years ago ---spool valve, ball bearings and everything, not going to do that again...ever. (Just didn't have the patience) I will however not give a second thought to resealing one or swapping out a sector shaft. Much easier for me to buy a rebuilt with a guarantee/warranty.

You wouldn't R/B another one but you would re/seal one, Hummm and you are a Mechanic Hummm. Don't know how to Digest that one.

[SS Tim]

Used original manuals are easy to find. The reproductions I've seen were more than usable. But you can start by simply downloading pdfs of both. They are linked in my signature.

[Katrina/10]

What sort of trouble are you having with it?

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by ck5566

You wouldn't R/B another one but you would re/seal one, Hummm and you are a Mechanic Hummm. Don't know how to Digest that one.

Maybe if you have to ask you should get a rebuilt one. Just saying... there's something about your response there. Hummmm

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by Katrina/10

What sort of trouble are you having with it?

Don't know yet. The gear box was picked up used so I would imagine that it might need to be R/B or re sealed.

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

Maybe if you have to ask you should get a rebuilt one. Just saying... there's something about your response there. Hummmm

I was just being a smart a $ $ with the Hmmmm thing LOL. I haven't broken apart the gear box yet and when I do I just might get why he wont do one again. And as for just going out and getting a R/B Pw Strg Box well I am from the Older Generation that try's to use his brain as much as possible you know exercise thee old noodle. Giving up and buying someone else's work is the easy way out any body can do that, its like being brain dead if you know what I mean. Not trying to offend you its having that pride thing in what you can do.

[KY_GMC]

I thought about doing this same things but thought otherwise when I found out all the special tools that would be needed. I sent it to a re-builder who changed the ratio to 3-1/3 turns and resealed it. For $200, it was money well spend and I did not have to deal with the hassle.

Just saying, sometimes it is better to let the professionals do their thing.

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by ck5566

I was just being a smart a $ $ with the Hmmmm thing LOL. I haven't broken apart the gear box yet and when I do I just might get why he wont do one again. And as for just going out and getting a R/B Pw Strg Box well I am from the Older Generation that try's to use his brain as much as possible you know exercise thee old noodle. Giving up and buying someone else's work is the easy way out any body can do that, its like being brain dead if you know what I mean. Not trying to offend you its having that pride thing in what you can do.

I'm that way sometimes too I guess. Anyhow, I don't think anyone rebuilds their own steering gears anymore. I bought a redhead. Here's what they do below. Plus install that gear and see if it works, it might be good already.

Our re-manufacturing process:

Machining out the housings and installing needle bearings
Flame-spraying or replacing the shafts as needed Installing new control valves on some applications
Custom fitting each worm & piston assembly with special ordered, precise over-sized ball bearings.

Other things we do to produce a top quality product include:

Install every sector shaft on a lathe to check for straight and true
polish the sealing surface to a higher polish than new.

[Katrina/10]

Originally Posted by ck5566

Don't know yet. The gear box was picked up used so I would imagine that it might need to be R/B or re sealed.

In that case, I'd put it on and see what happens. Might not be anything wrong with it.

[LongBox]

Originally Posted by Katrina/10

In that case, I'd put it on and see what happens. Might not be anything wrong with it.

Best answer in the thread!

[70STOVEBOLT]

I took mine apart and "rebuilt" it some years ago. I did not replace any of the parts in it because I did not see any excessive wear on anything, so I just bought a kit to reseal it. It was not that difficult. I found an article online that I used that outlined the process pretty well. If I can find a link I will post it. One thing I do remember, there were a helluva lot of balls in it.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Here you go, this is the article I used.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/tr...g-box-rebuild/

[Boog]

Tx firefighter did an excellent power sector reseal writeup a couple years ago. See if i can link it here.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=619634

Its in the suspension forum.

Also kevin tetz did a sector rebuild on the tv show. Some will remember it.

[Bigdav160]

I've rebuilt at least a hundred units. The only special tools are a pin spanner and a inch pound torque wrench (dial or beam)

[LockDoc]

-
I rebuilt the one in my '72 C-30 a couple of months ago. Only problem I had was that I ordered the wrong kit the first time. There are a couple of good how-to's on YouTube that I used. I ordered my kit from http://www.RockAuto.com

LockDoc

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

I've rebuilt at least a hundred units. The only special tools are a pin spanner and a inch pound torque wrench (dial or beam)

Since you are the only one on I'll ask you. I haven't read the Article that 70stovebolt posted yet but I did thumb through it and from others have said they have a HOLE LOT of round bearings/balls, I didn't see that from his/that Article. Can you add to that. Thanks

[SS Tim]

Those balls are the recirculating ball part of the steering system.
The #23 worm gear's helix grove (steering wheel input) moves the #7 rack/piston in a fore and aft motion which in turn (through external teeth) rotates #16 the verticle sector shaft/pitman arm.
The #11 balls flow through matching passages in the worm gear and the rack connecting them mechanically while reducing backlash, friction and wear between the two components.

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by ck5566

You wouldn't R/B another one but you would re/seal one, Hummm and you are a Mechanic Hummm. Don't know how to Digest that one.

You don't have to disassemble the box and/or pull the spool valve out, roll the different size bearings out of it to reseal it externally

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Those balls are the recirculating ball part of the steering system.
The #23 worm gear's helix grove (steering wheel input) moves the #7 rack/piston in a fore and aft motion which in turn (through external teeth) rotates #16 the verticle sector shaft/pitman arm.
The #11 balls flow through matching passages in the worm gear and the rack connecting them mechanically while reducing backlash, friction and wear between the two components.

If I just re seal the gear box then I don't need to take it apart all the way? Will most of the re seal kits on the market have all the seals that these gear box's leak from or the usual areas that they leak from?

[70STOVEBOLT]

All I replaced when I did mine were the external seals. You can get a kit for that, I got mine from NAPA. I just took it apart to see how it worked and to check to make sure it was in working order with no leaks before I put it on.

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Those balls are the recirculating ball part of the steering system.
The #23 worm gear's helix grove (steering wheel input) moves the #7 rack/piston in a fore and aft motion which in turn (through external teeth) rotates #16 the verticle sector shaft/pitman arm.
The #11 balls flow through matching passages in the worm gear and the rack connecting them mechanically while reducing backlash, friction and wear between the two components.

Not to offend any one here but SS you seem to know a lot about the gear box's. Can you point out (#'s) from that exploded diagram you posted for which Seal's or Sealing Points that can be changed for the most likely leaking areas?