Steering Box leak

[Peeeetay]

So I got a second hand box. Had it fitted and now it leaks like a piece of Swiss cheese.

It appears to be coming from the join in the case at the front just above the 13mm bolt that you can reach easily and not see in front of due to the sill. I'm guessing then that the casket or sealant between the two sides of the case is knacked.

My question is... Is it possible to get the box apart and replace the gasket or sealant without taking the box of again?

If not... Would using a much thicker oil or dare I say it grease be a viable solution? I know people say grease is bad, but I only drive the bus 6000 miles a year so even a greased up box should last me many years? Or finally, what about some kind of external sealer? If I degrease the box and get it totally clean, then apply some kind of silicon or sugru or maybe even glue gun or something more industrial to seal up the leak? I know I've listed a few ropey bodges but I really don't want to take the whole box off again.

Cheers,

Pete

The box by the way is spot on apart from the leak. It has transformed my vehicle. No play or slop. Just responsive steering. Perfecto!

 

[weeboll]

everyone says grease is bad but I keep seeing this in the local specialist vintage part suppliers...

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?pCode=015.947" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

having said that, my last box expired because of bearing was completely gone so worth checking over

 

[Peeeetay]

Cheers for that. Someone else recommended something similar. So, I'll give it a shot. The box is sound otherwise i think. at leat compared to my last one!

 

[Peeeetay]

So I had a brainwave and remembered I still had the old box in the garage. I took it apart to see whats what and you can indeed take it apart without removing it from the van. It's just 4 bolts and one side of the case drops off easy peasy. So my plan is to crack the case apart and clean up the faces that meet, put some sealant on and bolt em back together. If it's still leaking after that, I'll have to use very think oil or grease to stop it leaking I reckon.
The only thing I'm a bit worried about is the adjuster screw and messing with that, but hopefully if I'm careful it'll be reet.

 

[Zcat7]

I'll be interested to know how this goes as I have exactly the same issues - fitted a 2nd hand box, it transformed the handling, no slop and dry as a bone. Come out one day and it had started leaking. Why?!

 

[Peeeetay]

Hope to have time to have a stab tomorrow afternoon, but it might have to wait til next week now as away for the weekend on friday morning. I'll let you know how I get on Zcat7.

 

[aogrady]

Hi,

Hows about this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/321437145779?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/grey-permatex-vs-gasket-shellac.273499/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And use Millers Steering box oil

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/390588387012?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers,

Alistair

 

[gr00veg0d]

Same issue on mine. Took the paper gasket out and used some Loctite 5290 on it. Job done.

 

[Peeeetay]

Same issue on mine. Took the paper gasket out and used some Loctite 5290 on it. Job done.

Yours had a paper gasket?

Mine had nowt apart from some hardened old compound.

Having a go today

 

[Peeeetay]

Same issue on mine. Took the paper gasket out and used some Loctite 5290 on it. Job done.

5290... just looked it up and it says for printed circuit boards?

 

[gr00veg0d]

Same issue on mine. Took the paper gasket out and used some Loctite 5290 on it. Job done.

5290... just looked it up and it says for printed circuit boards?

Here ya go http://www.halfords.com/motoring/pa...-premium-silicone-copper-gasket-maker-sealant

 

[Peeeetay]

Success!

Thanks for the help!

1) Took the case apart - undid bolts then had to give it a light tap with a ball peen hammer.
2) Cleaned both mating surfaces really carefully with white spirit and a scourer.
3) Dried them off.
4) noticed a bit of a scratch/dent roughly where i thought the leak was coming from.
5) laced the loose side of the case with a thin bead of Elring Curil T sealing compound. Put and extra dot on the the but that was scratched/dented.
6) smushed the case back onto the side that was still connected to the van.
7) Curil T spilled out the edges slightly as it compressed.
8) Bolted it back up tight
9) Filled with Carlube Hypoid 80 90 Gear Oil using a nifty little gizmo that was lent to me (it was a woodwork clamp to compress the oil bottle which ran into a teat connected to a length of fuel hose that fit nicely in the filling hole).
10) put the bung back on.
11) Waited hopefully - no dripping - 1 hour later - no dripping
12) Went for a drive - no dripping!

Woohoo!

Cheers again, hope this helps Zcat7.

Pete

 

[Zcat7]

Good stuff. Think I have some Curil T (the green smelly stuff?) so will give this a go when I get time and let you know if it works for me too!

 

[Peeeetay]

Update.

Curil T hasn't worked long term.

Going to try another hopefully better liquid gasket.

if that fails i'll use semi fluid grease instead.

 

[Zcat7]

I never did get around to this but was waiting for the warmer weather; glad of this update! Can you see exactly where its leaking from?

 

[Happystamps]

I've a pitman arm remover (for cast boxes only) if you want to take the box out. It's actually quite a pleasant job when it's on the bench