Power Steering GearBox Leak Questions

[PrimeredThunder]

The Power Steering box on my 72' Chevy pickup leaks like no tomorrow...literally, top off the fluid and 15mins later its all on the floor! We've tracked it down to being most likely the gasket between the top (where the steering shaft enters) and the rest of the casing. I know a new gearbox is going to run about $170, is there a way to pull part of it off and replace te gasket? I have been told not to take the box apart, becasue supposedly you'll never get it all back together. I'd really appreciate any help on this matter!

Thanks,
Kenny

[Rabid]

Damn, I thought I was the only one with a trashed steering box. Mine does exactly the same thing. 15 minutes is a bit more severe then mine though. From what I've heard the trickiest thing is keeping it from hitting you in the head when you put it in and take it out. lol. I'm half tempted to try and replace all the seals and stuff myself. I just need some guidance like you do.

[orange72]

i replaced the seal where the stering shaft enters. autozone sells just that seal so you can replace it without spending the money on the whole seal set. nothing to it once you got it apart from being together 30 years.

[runx68SWB]

get you the rebuild kit.... its nothing more than a couple o-ring gaskets.... i rebuilt mine about a year ago after dealing with a very bad leak for too long.... the hardest part is taking the sterring gear box out and thats really not bad.... the rebuild may only take you about 15 minutes

[crew70]

Ive rebiult the rear end ,front end I ve had the trasfer case, and the 4 speed trainy apart and resealed then all .but the stearing box is intimidating. why? I dont know . but soon I ll get the curage to tare it apart.

[Rabid]

TTT

Thats what I heard. (getting it in and out is the hard part) Some of you make it sound really easy. example - "ahh, just pop it out slap the new seals in and put her back in"... What I need to know is two things:
1. Any special pullers or tools for this deal? Meaning is this a deal where I'm merely catching the loose fluid and loosening bolts and such to take it apart? What I don't want to happen is get this heavy thing up on my work bench and then find that I need some special jaw-type puller to take it apart.

2. These seal kits, do they come with even the least bit of guidance? i.e. "be careful not to tap this too hard" or "make sure you lube this up real good before you do your final assembly".

Just a few things I want to clear up before I sideline the truck for too long.

[Hooter]

my steering box in the 74 used to leak lots so i got the idea of dumping tranny stop leak into it. and it has not leaked in 5 months and counting

[JimKshortstep4x4]

The seal kits come with an exploded view of the box. You will need a snap ring pliers or some way to get the snap rings out.

When I rebuilt mine, it took a couple of hours to do it. Of course cleaning it completely inside and out took time. Also, I managed to lose one of the recirculating balls and reloading them was not very enjoyable. I ended up miking them and separating into load balls and spacer balls so that they could be reloaded in the right sequence. I was lucky because there is a steering box rebuilder close by and he gave me replacement balls for the ones that I was missing. (I think a new set is $20 ).

The kit that I bought was $27 and it was pretty complete, (no recirculating balls, though).

Jim

[PrimeredThunder]

WEll getting the steering box looks like it will be relatively easy for me to get out, becasue of the engine being out, looks like all I got to do is maybe pull the drivers side front tire for access to the steering box. I know we have got just about any tool I should need at the shop. I might go down to one of the good parts stores around here and take a look at a rebuild kit and see where I am at with that.
Kenny