Posted by Marty on Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 17:38:59 :
This is very odd??
This is the worm gear from the orange 49P/W I'm restoring. I rebuilt the steering box...it was a low mileage truck & the worm & sector shafts looked good. I put new bearings, seal & set it back up. I've done lots & lots of these...they're about as simple a steering gear that was ever designed.
So I get it finished & it turns smooth...no binding & everything seems great. I install it in the truck, fill it with 90W gear oil & she turns nice. Come back in the morning...gear oil everywhere?? What's up?
The box is so messy with oil I can't possibly tell where it came from so I take it out & do it over paying close attention to seal everything including the bolts. Put it back in...next day, no mess but I can still see traces of what looks like gear oil around the box??
I wanted to get the engine in the truck & the 318 Poly is a REAL tight fit around that steering box so I just pulled the cover & dumped the oil. I filled it up with some JD Cornhead grease I got a year or so back for steering knuckles. Everything seemed good & I forged ahead with my restoration.
That was last year. Now the truck is nearing completion. I was moving it around the shop a few weeks ago & man...that thing is a bear to steer??? What's up with that...seems like it's binding?
It takes almost 2 days to get the steering box out...engine has to get moved...all the wiring & firwall liner has to come out...BIG job. I take the box apart & here's what I find???
What do you make of that?
The cornhead grease looks like it's eating the worm gear? It almost looks like electrolisis...very strange?
If you look at the filler cap on the steering box, it only reads "Fill With Heavy Gear Oil"
If you read the JD bottle...it says to use in gear boxes where heavy gear oil is needed??
Just thought I'd warn you guys.
Don't use this stuff in your steering knuckles I guess!
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