"Steering Adventure"
 

Or "If it Ain't Broke Mess With It Till it Is"

Smarty me thought I'd remove steering gear lid, install grease fitting, and pump it full of grease. Then snug up the adjusting screw. All without removing the front cowl because I'm all agile and smart and stuff. Naturally I broke off one of the cover screws. So now I have to pull the cowl. Bald I did because while degreasing the steering gear I noticed the large nut that screws into the front of the gear was about two turns out. That explains why the steering wheel seemed to wind up and down in the tube, and why I had slack in the steering. Now it seems pretty good but I have to fix that broken screw.

Needed hosed out under there anyhow.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

STUFF HAPPENS:roll::thumbup:

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Pulled the pitman arm using the correct tool. For those who never used pitman arm puller the trick is to lube the threaded rod with anti-seize compound. Then install squarely, apply some decent pressure by turning in the threaded rod. Don't go nuts, just grind until good and tight. Then warm the pitman arm with a torch. Angle it so you don't burn out the seal in bottom of steering gear. Then give the hex end of the puller rod a good whack with a hammer.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Extracting that broken bolt is no big deal. Spot it with a punch, drill straight through it, give it a few heat-cool cycles, soak in PB Blaster, then use a screw extractor.

Then break the screw extractor in the hole.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Well that sucks.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Then get out the Dremel. Notch away some of the boss around the screw hole, grab the nub with vice grips, call it done.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Pack full of grease, put the lid on. Now with grease fitting.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Nice!

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Need to go to hardware store for a new screw, and some more screws to mount my new-used rear seat.

Also snugged up the front bearing race, which was about two turns from hand tight, and adjusted the screw on the cover to take out all play while not feeling any resistance lock-to-lock. Very satisfied with progress today despite the broken screw.

Re: "Steering Adventure"
 

Another unexpected finding was that the four bolts that mount the steering gear were only barely snug. They are now tightened with thread locker. As is the front bearing retainer.

Pitman arm was reinstalled with anti-seize on the shaft and threads since the sheet metal locking tab will keep the nut from turning out.