Need Help with 95 E150 Steering Box Seal
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: HRM Nova Scotia
Need Help with 95 E150 Steering Box Seal
I am trying to replace the steering box (sector shaft) seal on my 95 E150 and I can't get the old seal out. There is no evidence of a C clip holding it in (there is a new one included in the kit), but I can't seem to get the seal out. Should it just pull out from the bottom, or do I have to remove the sector shaft? Thanks!
azul
azul
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: HRM Nova Scotia
OK, for anyone who hasn't done this job, here is what to expect if doing it without removing the sector shaft:
-Loosen Pitman arm nut (1-5/16"?). I ended up putting the wrench on the nut and turning the steering wheel, which easily loosened the nut
-I had to remove the steering box from the frame at this point, as there wasn't even enough room to remove the nut from the sector shaft due to frame clearance.
-Using a pitman arm puller, lots of heat, and a big hammer, remove the pitman arm. Heat the arm, and hit it on the diameter. Apply lots of pressure with the puller. It will come off. It is keyed, so don't worry about marking it.
-This is where it gets fun... Remove the dust shield. You may have to use a hammer and a punch or small chisel to pop it out. If you are high-end you will have a seal removal tool.
-Using snap ring pliers, remove the old snap ring that is under the dust shield. Note: The new snap ring supplied in my seal kit from the dealer was too small to fit properly. I had to stretch it slightly (old one was destroyed on removal).
-After you get the snap ring out, there is a steel washer that should almost fall out. It may need to be tapped or vibrated a bit to get it to fall down.
-Once the washer is out (keep it, my kit did not come with a replacement), you have to remove the main seal. This was a bit frustrating, as it is pretty deep in the box. Some people have suggested starting the engine and turning the wheel at this point to pop the old seal out, but if the seal leaks badly enough, or if your PS reservoir is empty, it may not work. I used a long, coarse thread screw. The trick was not to get the screw into the seal and pull on it (didn't work for me), rather use a long screw, and angle it slightly so that the point bottoms out on the side of the box. When you turn the screw, it will slowly draw the seal outward, as the screw remains stationary. Be prepared for more fluid running out once you break the seal.
-Install is reverse of removal. Only note here is USE A SEAL DRIVER to install the new seal. By seal driver, even an appropriate size piece of pipe would by fine. I tried to tap the seal in with a punch because my driver was not deep enough to clear the sector shaft. It went in OK, but there was a point where it looked like it was going to go horribly wrong. Get a piece of pipe the right diameter and cut it to the appropriate length.
Have fun.
azul
-Loosen Pitman arm nut (1-5/16"?). I ended up putting the wrench on the nut and turning the steering wheel, which easily loosened the nut
-I had to remove the steering box from the frame at this point, as there wasn't even enough room to remove the nut from the sector shaft due to frame clearance.
-Using a pitman arm puller, lots of heat, and a big hammer, remove the pitman arm. Heat the arm, and hit it on the diameter. Apply lots of pressure with the puller. It will come off. It is keyed, so don't worry about marking it.
-This is where it gets fun... Remove the dust shield. You may have to use a hammer and a punch or small chisel to pop it out. If you are high-end you will have a seal removal tool.
-Using snap ring pliers, remove the old snap ring that is under the dust shield. Note: The new snap ring supplied in my seal kit from the dealer was too small to fit properly. I had to stretch it slightly (old one was destroyed on removal).
-After you get the snap ring out, there is a steel washer that should almost fall out. It may need to be tapped or vibrated a bit to get it to fall down.
-Once the washer is out (keep it, my kit did not come with a replacement), you have to remove the main seal. This was a bit frustrating, as it is pretty deep in the box. Some people have suggested starting the engine and turning the wheel at this point to pop the old seal out, but if the seal leaks badly enough, or if your PS reservoir is empty, it may not work. I used a long, coarse thread screw. The trick was not to get the screw into the seal and pull on it (didn't work for me), rather use a long screw, and angle it slightly so that the point bottoms out on the side of the box. When you turn the screw, it will slowly draw the seal outward, as the screw remains stationary. Be prepared for more fluid running out once you break the seal.
-Install is reverse of removal. Only note here is USE A SEAL DRIVER to install the new seal. By seal driver, even an appropriate size piece of pipe would by fine. I tried to tap the seal in with a punch because my driver was not deep enough to clear the sector shaft. It went in OK, but there was a point where it looked like it was going to go horribly wrong. Get a piece of pipe the right diameter and cut it to the appropriate length.
Have fun.
azul
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: State College, PA
Nice write-up Azul. I just did a seal replace on my in-law's 1992 today and your notes were quite helpful. Here are a few more thoughts:
Confirming 1-5/16" combo wrench or socket will work on that pitman arm nut. Great trick about turning the steering wheel to loosen the nut, because that nut is ON THERE.
I used the pitman arm puller with a blow torch to remove the arm...no hammering necessary.
That snap ring is strong, and it is contract-to-open, so the typical spread-to-open snap ring pliers does not work...it just slips off the ring. Even a brand new grippy pair of needle-nosed pliers would not hold on to that snap ring. I fabricated a snap ring remover by grinding notches in the ends of a needle nosed pliers w/ a Dremel. I also bench-ground down the width of the pliers for the last inch or so, so it could fit in that tight space.
I reconnected the pitman arm after removing the spring clip, in order to put more load on the pump and increase odds of pushing out the old seal. Worked like a charm. It had the side benefit of retaining original pitman arm alignment with the steering box shaft.
I sawed off a 5" length of 1-1/4" PVC pipe and it was the perfect size for pressing the new seal in. I had to pound it with a hammer to get the seal past the snap-ring notch, but the PVC held up surprisingly well, even though it was below 40-degrees.
Confirming 1-5/16" combo wrench or socket will work on that pitman arm nut. Great trick about turning the steering wheel to loosen the nut, because that nut is ON THERE.
I used the pitman arm puller with a blow torch to remove the arm...no hammering necessary.
That snap ring is strong, and it is contract-to-open, so the typical spread-to-open snap ring pliers does not work...it just slips off the ring. Even a brand new grippy pair of needle-nosed pliers would not hold on to that snap ring. I fabricated a snap ring remover by grinding notches in the ends of a needle nosed pliers w/ a Dremel. I also bench-ground down the width of the pliers for the last inch or so, so it could fit in that tight space.
I reconnected the pitman arm after removing the spring clip, in order to put more load on the pump and increase odds of pushing out the old seal. Worked like a charm. It had the side benefit of retaining original pitman arm alignment with the steering box shaft.
I sawed off a 5" length of 1-1/4" PVC pipe and it was the perfect size for pressing the new seal in. I had to pound it with a hammer to get the seal past the snap-ring notch, but the PVC held up surprisingly well, even though it was below 40-degrees.