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Steering Leak Advice Please!
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15992		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  JamesM007 [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:04 am ]
Post subject:  Steering Leak Advice Please!
Original equipment 64 Valiant with manual steering and auto trans.

So after getting all of the driver side upper/lower arms, strut, torsion bar et. al. out of the vehicle for the rebuild, I have decided to tackle the leaking steering gear and housing as well as I can now get to the unit a little better.

The unit was absolutely caked with crap from what I would say is years of leaks. Real thick hardcore stuff that has been hell to scrape off ( I still have more to scrape and I was under that car for 2 hours last night)! Anyway, I cannot possibly tell where the leak is coming from.

The steering works fine and has felt good the few times I have driven the car so I’m pretty sure the unit is good and just needs to be freshened up.

Scanning the service manual and parts catalog, I see a number of seals/gaskets for the unit itself:

1) Gasket 19-19-28. This gasket is used with the 3 bolt hole cover plate that attaches. Don’t know what to call this gasket.
2) Seal 19-19-35. This seal connects to the lower end of the unit just north of where the pitman arm bolts. I think it is called pitman shaft seal?
3) Seal 19-19-70. This seal sets on the worm gear shaft. So I guess it is called the worm gear seal?

There appears to be 2 seals (an upper and lower) on the steering column for a manual transmission (*mine is auto) but my parts book does not have the exploded picture of an auto trans steering column. Those seals are:

4) Seal 19-14-68 (upper).
5) Seal 1915-28 (lower).

My steering column has some sort of dust cover seal that exists where the columns exits the firewall that is currently hanging in shards. Don't know if this is upper of lower seal.

So my questions are:

1) Does the manual and auto steering column have the same seals?
2) Should I pull out the steering unit to work on it or leave it in the car?
3) Should I replace all of the seals or only certain ones?
4) Are all of these parts readily available at places like NAPA?
5) Do I need to buy special tools or can I use household goods and ingenuity?
6) If I should pull out unit and if I should need specialty tools, should I just get the unit out and let someone else refresh it?
7) Oh yeah, does the plug 19-02-17 have a small seal as well?

Sorry so long but I have never taken steering apart before.

Thanks in advance.
Author:  slantvaliant [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:41 am ]
Post subject: 
I cleaned a bunch of caked stuff off my '64's steering box, but I think most of it came from elsewhere over the years. Oil, brake fluid, Southern Oklahoma and North Texas dust, mix well and bake for 40 years ...
I'll be watching this discussion closely - I need to do something about my steering box (maybe a new gearset), and I only want to do it once. Clean it up inside and out.
Author:  mcnoople [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Speaking for my own personal brand of laziness I'd soak it with carb cleaner and spray it down with a pressure washer. Don't aim the spray at any seals. After it is clean check fluid level if it's full I wouldn't worry. The factory fill is a mystery goo/fluid that doesn't run out very easily. Read this http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14174.
Author:  edwinjmartz [ Sun Feb 12, 2006 1:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just pump mine full of wheel-bearing grease.
At least it doesn't come out nearly as fast.
It's a good idea to lift the front end and turn the wheels from side to side a few times when filling it.
Author:  JamesM007 [ Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks. Couldn't get the pitman arm off so I need to get a pitman puller and figure it out. Decided to wait until I get the front end rebuild and brakes completed first.
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