47-55.1 Rebuilding manual steering box - question?

[TX3100Guy]

While preparing to install a new Ididit steering column, I decided while pulling the old column to rebuild the steering box. I have a rebuild kit from Jim Carter on the way to me and it includes gaskets, oil seal, bearings, and new sleeves.

As you can see on the two photos below, there are two sleeves to potentially remove and replace. I'm fairly certain that I can drift out the one sleeve, but the second one has me a bit confused on how best to accomplish that. Here are the pictures.

I would expect to use a small flat punch to finesse this sleeve out. If necessary I could use my press and a socket round enough to catch the sleeve but not the casting and press it out



This is the one that looks tricky. The sleeve is pressed almost to the top of this part of the casting with only a small bolt hole at the top. I'm not sure how to get this sleeve out. Suggestions are welcome.

[mr48chev]

[QUOTE=TX3100Guy;9097980]

I would expect to use a small flat punch to finesse this sleeve out. If necessary I could use my press and a socket round enough to catch the sleeve but not the casting and press it out


This is the one that looks tricky. The sleeve is pressed almost to the top of this part of the casting with only a small bolt hole at the top. I'm not sure how to get this sleeve out. Suggestions are welcome.

What you are thinking is exactly how I would do it.

In my tool boxes somewhere I have a couple of old screw driver that had broken tips on the that I ground into a half round on one side with a reasonably sharp and slightly rounded tip. I use those to take out the end frame bushings on starters and bushings like this that have a blind hole.

The other way I have taken bushings out is to use a sawzall blade that will go in the inside of the bushing and cut just through the bushing in one spot to help it loose it's grip on the housing. By hand and not with the saw though.

[mick53]

I was worried about damaging the new ones putting them in so I took mine to a local shop. They did the bushings out and in and I think a couple of races for $20 about 4 years ago.

[dsraven]

when I do a bushing removal from a blind hole I try to thread it and use something that screws into the bushing and then slide hammer it out. since it is a good sized bushing on this one, and you likely don't have a big tap like that, I would next try a single bevel point cold chisel that has the back side ground round to match the contour of the outside of the bushing, then use it to remove a strip out of the bushing so it can be removed easily. be careful not to score the bore of the housing is all. another way is to use a die grinder with a burr and use that to grind a groove in the bushing so it has a weak spot where it will easily collapse when you use a small flat screwdriver or a cold chisel as mentioned above.
to push a new bushing into the bore, first ensure the bore is clean and smooth, lightly oiled. then place the ne bushing into the bore straight and square, tap a few times gently to keep it there, then use the vice to squeeze it into place. the last little bit can be done with a correct sized piece of flat stock, like a washer. if the bore has a hole in th other end you can also suck it in there with threaded rod.

[TX3100Guy]

Thanks to @mr48chev and @dsraven for their suggestions. I managed to get all the sleeves out and the races necessary to rebuild the steering box. Pics below -



The trick with the sawzall blade by hand did the trick. I made a 90% of the way thru cut, then used a small chisel to peal it away from the part, no damage to the part and the sleeve is out.

Tomorrow I'm going to use a Vapor Hone to clean up the steering box body before I give it a coat of paint.

[dsraven]

a chisel like shown in this link. the single bevel point or possibly the round nose. it's narrow, has a single bevel so it will curl out a "ditch" in the bushing. round the backside to match something close to the bore so you don't gouge the bore so easily, then start at the edge where the bushing meets the bore. try to cut a curling piece of bushing out as you tap the chisel in. keep the plane of the back edge of the chisel, that you ground to match the bore, in the same plane as the bore so you don't dif into the bore. it sounds harder than it really is. if you are uneasy with making a groove in a single pass then do several. sometimes a groove that isn't all the way through will weaken the bushing enough so it can be distorted with another tool, like a screwdriver forced between the bushing and the bore, then pull the bushing out with a vice grip or plier.
sometimes a metal cutting jig saw blade with a vicegrip handle will also work, just be carefull about keeping it on plane with the bore so you don't cut into the bore. once it is weakened the bushing can be distorted and collapsed into itself then pulled out.

for install I use threaded rod a lot for bushings, bearings etc. stuff with a hole in the middle. use a thick washer, a socket that is larger than the od of the bushing or some other flat object that has a hole in the middle. even a piece of wood will probably work. try not to hammer on the bushing as it is soft and will flange at the impact point easily, then it will need to be machined to fit the shaft

http://avstop.com/ac/Aviation_Mainte...neral/9-9.html

[dsraven]

nice job.
another trick i use for bearing race removal when a punch can't be used, and this is for steel bearing races like a wheel bearing kinda thing so not for this particular project, is to dissassemble the bearing so it is just the race in the bore, no ball bearings or tapered rollers or cages etc. protect the bore as much as you can with welding anti spatter spray or something like that, then run a weld bead all the way around the bearing race. just on the actual bearing part so be careful not to weld on the project piece. then if the housing is mobile place it so the bearing is facing down when done the welding. then walk away for a time so it can cool off. sometimes I have done this at the end of the day and the old bearing has fallen out of the bore overnight and I find it on the floor when I come back. I have used this trick on front wheel drive wheel bearings that are pressed into the spindles, like Honda does, because they are hard to get out if you don't have a press available or you don't wanna take the whole front end apart to do a wheel bearing

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

You will still need to buy a worn bearing adjuster nut that is the race for end bearing. Jim Carter Steering Box Overhaul Kit SKU ME514 dos not include it and he is out of stock of the Steering adjuster race SKU MES143. Call Midwest Steering they list them as in stock.

https://www.midweststeering.com/product/adjuster-race/

Funny that you should post this. Last night I was looking at this part and wondered 1) how in the hell would I get that race out, and 2) I wonder if I can just buy a new one. You must have read my mind, thanks for the link!

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by dsraven

nice job.
another trick i use for bearing race removal when a punch can't be used, and this is for steel bearing races like a wheel bearing kinda thing so not for this particular project, is to dissassemble the bearing so it is just the race in the bore, no ball bearings or tapered rollers or cages etc. protect the bore as much as you can with welding anti spatter spray or something like that, then run a weld bead all the way around the bearing race. just on the actual bearing part so be careful not to weld on the project piece. then if the housing is mobile place it so the bearing is facing down when done the welding. then walk away for a time so it can cool off. sometimes I have done this at the end of the day and the old bearing has fallen out of the bore overnight and I find it on the floor when I come back. I have used this trick on front wheel drive wheel bearings that are pressed into the spindles, like Honda does, because they are hard to get out if you don't have a press available or you don't wanna take the whole front end apart to do a wheel bearing

Not sure my welding skills are up to this level, but I may try it some time in the future. Thanks again for the advice.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

You will still need to buy a worn bearing adjuster nut that is the race for end bearing. Jim Carter Steering Box Overhaul Kit SKU ME514 dos not include it and he is out of stock of the Steering adjuster race SKU MES143. Call Midwest Steering they list them as in stock.

https://www.midweststeering.com/product/adjuster-race/

I ordered this part and it has arrived. In testing fitting it to the steering box I'm having to clean the steering box threads to get this part to thread in fully. Interestingly, it is a bit taller than the original one by a good 3/8 of an inch. That doesn't seem to be a problem since the excess threads will just protrude from the body and not fully thread in. The other issue I'm having is that the thin jam nut that threads onto the end of this part and secures the adjuster race to the body won't fully thread on. I've checked the threads and they seem compatible. I haven't been able to locate a replacement for the jam nut at any of the usuals. Any thoughts on where I might locate one?

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

I had the same problem with an aftermarket tie rod, the ends won't fully thread on. It was the threads on the rod. By checking the threads did you use a thread gage? Will the jam nut screw on from the race end of the adjuster nut? I say it is the new adjuster nut. The jam nut P/T 266677.
Use the link below they list one, but at $3.07 I would expect it to be more Call them to make sure it’s the right part.
If you send back adjuster nut I can give you a link for an NOS one but it will be around $100. The last one I bought from them 3 years ago was $75.

I try to buy NOS parts more money but no problems.

https://thebernscompany.com/product/saginaw-nut-266677/

Go ahead and send the link for the NOS part, I'm a bit concerned about continuing with the part I have.

[dsraven]

If you guys are talking about the jam nut on the pitman shaft adjuster, it will likely be a standard thread and is just a narrow nut and probably available at any fastener supply outfit. If take the bolt with you, or the old jam nut and ask for a new one of "THESE". they should be able to fix you up. You could also get a die or a thread chaser nut to clean up the threads on the bolt part. The way things are made stupid quick with little quality control it's a wonder anything bolts together these days.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by dsraven

If you guys are talking about the jam nut on the pitman shaft adjuster, it will likely be a standard thread and is just a narrow nut and probably available at any fastener supply outfit. If take the bolt with you, or the old jam nut and ask for a new one of "THESE". they should be able to fix you up. You could also get a die or a thread chaser nut to clean up the threads on the bolt part. The way things are made stupid quick with little quality control it's a wonder anything bolts together these days.

It is a 1 7/8" jam nut that is about 1/8" thick. I've not seen one at my local fastener store, but will ask on Monday. My photo above shows the original one in front of the shorter of the two bearing adjuster nuts.

[dsraven]

Ok, I kinda thought it was like a 3/8 nut. Maybe try z local machine shop if you want it sooner than later. Is the old one toast then?

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Ok, I kinda thought it was like a 3/8 nut. Maybe try z local machine shop if you want it sooner than later. Is the old one toast then?

That's a great question and a bit of a dilemma. After thoroughly cleaning the threads on both the adjuster nuts (old and new), as well as the steering box body itself, along with the jam nut here is what is happening.

With the old bearing adjuster nut, I can thread it completely through the body until it falls into the body and I retrieve it from the other openings. I can also thread the jam nut onto it and run it the complete length of the nut.

With the new bearing adjuster nut (recall it is 3/8 of an inch longer/taller), I can only thread it into the steering box body until the race is flush with the end of the threads. There doesn't appear to be any blockage per se, but it will not thread completely though like the old adjuster nut. Additionally, the jam nut will only thread on maybe one thread.

The ***** of it is that while I have a set of both SAE and Metric thread checkers, my set doesn't go up to 1 7/8 inch. As a result, I can only compare the new and old threads on the bearing adjuster nut by holding them tightly side by side and they appear identical. But given that the jam nut will thread onto the old nut but not the new nut, I'm suspicious.

To be honest, if I don't get a reply from the company with the NOS parts, I may be forced to use the old adjuster nut since its race doesn't appear to be scored or highly worn.

[1project2many]

It's quite possible the threads on the jam nut have deformed slightly where the nut made contact with the box. If the new part is a few ten thousandths larger than the OE part and the edge of the nut is a few ten thousandths smaller than original, you are likely to see thread bind. Try carefully threading the nut onto the old part while checking to see if there is some resistance as you get to that same point. Or possibly just run a finger across the threads in the nut to feel for some deformity. Often you can improve the situation by spinning the male threaded part in a wire wheel then applying some lubricant. The wheel helps remove any sharp edges and the libricant will assist as the tight part of the nut threads onto the fastener.

Congratulations on getting that bushing out. I have used a "grease piston" to remove bushings in blind holes before. Pack the cavity under and insidet he bushing with grease then find a round punch or bolt shank that fits fairly snugly into the bushing. Hammering the bolt into the packed cavity applies pressure to the grease which then attempts to push the bushing back out of the hole. Success is not guaranteed but it's worked enough times that it's a good tool for the toolbox.

[dsraven]

if you have a vernier caliper you could check the od of both parts and compare. sometimes it comes down to how the thread tolerances were machined. as with new fasteners there are some that are made to tighter tolerenances and when new they are hard to spin a nut onto a bolt by hand. others the nut would spin easily. possibly the new part was made to a tighter tolerance to allow for the wear that could occur from a worn out steering box or lack of maintenance over the years. anyway, I would also do the wire wheel trick as suggested. since you have placed the parts next to each other and had the threads mesh together well I would have to say possibly the threads on the new part are cut not quite as deep as the old part was so they are tighter. if the old lock nut spins onto the new part and vice versa look for a slight diameter discrepancy in the OD of the barrel, meaning the new part is slightly larger, or a burr somewhere in the threaded area of the new barrel. you could also try some layout dye on the threads of the barrell and see what rubs off when you try to screw it together in the housing, that will show where the tight spot acrtually is. if the dye is rubbed off in the bottom of each thread then it would indicate the barrel is overall slightly larger. if it is rubbed off consistently on the leading or trailing edge of the thread then possibly the thread was made a bit off.