| Author |
Message |
Combinations
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 286
Location: Massachussets
|
 Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:54 am Post subject: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
 |
|
Hi, can any one lead me toward a post that explain how to open the steering box to top-it up? I cannot find anything. My steering is really hard, not good.
Thanks
Aurel |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:16 am Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
Filling it is in Bentley including photos. There is a red plastic plug on top that you remove and pump GL4 gear oil in.
As for hard steering, there can be many causes. First is drive a bus that is similar to yours and see what that feels like, or jack the front end up with the tires off the ground and see how it feels. If you are at a dead stop with old tires that are a bit under inflated it takes a lot to turn the tires. I usually roll just a tiny istsy bitsy amount to make it easier to turn. If it is hard with the wheels off the ground then you will have to disconnect things to figure where the stiffness is. It can be anywhere from the steering box to the dampener - even bad ball joints.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Combinations
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 286
Location: Massachussets
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:39 am Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
Great elements, thanks!!! Once the wheels are off the ground when the steering wheel is turned, there is a squeek coming from the box. Any oil recommended accessible in store in the us? Thanks again!
Aurel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:55 am Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| Combinations wrote: |
Great elements, thanks!!! Once the wheels are off the ground when the steering wheel is turned, there is a squeek coming from the box. Any oil recommended accessible in store in the us? Thanks again!
Aurel |
I guess you could use any GL4 or GL5 that is 80 wt or thereabouts. Don't buy GL5 for the trans - only GL4 but the steering isn't going to care. Best guess is you will need a drip pan under it because the seals are likely gone.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16863
Location: sticksville, ct.
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:21 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
I am betting the box is SHOT....or is going to have a big knot in it somewhere thru the rotation
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:45 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| Shortly after I put my '77 on the road I noticed that the box was leaking pretty bad. Being out on the road and not wanting to allow the box to go dry before I could come up with a time and place to work on it, I drilled small hole (5/64" ?) in the top of the box about 1" below the flange for the upper cap and pumped #2 moly grease into the box. This stopped the leaking dead and didn't seem to negatively effect the operation of the box. That was 12'ish years ago and somewhere around 100-120K miles and no problems to date. I closed the hole off originally with a dab of silicone and later with a dab of JB Weld. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
I've had 3 boxes apart and all were mostly drained before I got there. Two were fine when cleaned and new seals put in. One was worn in the center of the worm gear. That one went to metal scrap. If the box if leaking but when adjusted per the page I posted shows it is, "Tight - Loose - Tight (bad)" intead of "Loose - Tight - Loose (good)," then it is junk. The worm gear is ground so the center is high. That way when adjusted one can never lock the box up in a turn. But if that area is badly worn then when it is adjusted at center the outsides will lock up in a turn and one does not want that.
The later boxes use a big roller and not a peg roller. But there is a bearing race at the top and bottom that is like a high quality bicycle bottom bracket race and ball bearings. If that race is damaged then that could kill it too.
example of one that was apart
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Combinations
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 286
Location: Massachussets
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| Weird I started unscrewing the round plate, but made sure to wait to see if oil where coming out before removing it totally. I saw some oil coming out. I will wait to have some new oil before to remove that plate. I will open it then and see how it is inside. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| Combinations wrote: |
| Weird I started unscrewing the round plate, but made sure to wait to see if oil where coming out before removing it totally. I saw some oil coming out. I will wait to have some new oil before to remove that plate. I will open it then and see how it is inside. |
what are you doing? It better be on the workbench before you take that plate off. You don't need to pull the cover off to adjust the box or add oil. You just really spooked me. Its like hearing a guy say, I tried loosening the lug nuts to add air to the tires but the wife called me inside.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Combinations
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 286
Location: Massachussets
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| SGKent wrote: |
| Combinations wrote: |
| Weird I started unscrewing the round plate, but made sure to wait to see if oil where coming out before removing it totally. I saw some oil coming out. I will wait to have some new oil before to remove that plate. I will open it then and see how it is inside. |
what are you doing? It better be on the workbench before you take that plate off. You don't need to pull the cover off to adjust the box or add oil. You just really spooked me. Its like hearing a guy say, I tried loosening the lug nuts to add air to the tires but the wife called me inside. |
Don't be spooked it's not Halloween yet! I don't want to adjust nor add oil but want to know if there was oil in it. Seems that there is so I have to figure out why it's so thought. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:23 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
| Combinations wrote: |
| SGKent wrote: |
| Combinations wrote: |
| Weird I started unscrewing the round plate, but made sure to wait to see if oil where coming out before removing it totally. I saw some oil coming out. I will wait to have some new oil before to remove that plate. I will open it then and see how it is inside. |
what are you doing? It better be on the workbench before you take that plate off. You don't need to pull the cover off to adjust the box or add oil. You just really spooked me. Its like hearing a guy say, I tried loosening the lug nuts to add air to the tires but the wife called me inside. |
Don't be spooked it's not Halloween yet! I don't want to adjust nor add oil but want to know if there was oil in it. Seems that there is so I have to figure out why it's so thought. |
there was a thin o-ring that rides in a groove under the top. Usually it pops out because it is swollen over the years. Please be sure it seals back up. There are also bearings in cages that can fall out.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Combinations
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 286
Location: Massachussets
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:28 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
[quote="SGKent"][quote="Combinations"][quote="SGKent"]
| Combinations wrote: |
there was a thin o-ring that rides in a groove under the top. Usually it pops out because it is swollen over the years. Please be sure it seals back up. There are also bearings in cages that can fall out. |
I will check that out, thanks for your help.
Aurel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: 76 Dry steering box, I am looking for a thread how to top it up |
|
|
you can see the groove in the body in the photo above. I had to glue them in place with Kuril then put the top back on. The screw is anchored into the shaft. If the puck at the end of the threads, for lack of a better word, gets grit in it, it can make it hard to turn. All the ones I worked on had clay in them - meaning a very fine road dust that made its way into the box and settled at the bottom.
the ball bearings are in the worm part so if you leave the 4 bolts alone you should be Ok. The rubber ring - I don't know where you can get a replacement although some where in the world they must have o-rings that size. Problem is that no parts other than seals were ever available for this style box. Too bad because they would have been easily serviceable. It was a Gemmer design.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
