Hi Everyone
I finally got around to replacing the loose and leaking steering box (power) on my 67 Olds 98. I got the old box out without too much trouble, although the flange that connects the column to the input shaft on the gearbox was pretty tight.
Well, that should have been the point at which I got worried. Getting the new box’s input shaft into the flange is proving beyond difficult. Of course, laying on my back, holding a 20lb gear over my face doesn’t make it any easier.
I guess my real question is if there is some trick to this that I just don’t know. I have made sure that the flat on the input shaft lines up with the open side of the flange. But man, that thing is tight.
Please help. The summer weather is coming!
Doesn’t the steering shaft have a slip joint that can be pushed back to allow installation of the steering gear?
Tester
Not unless there is something I don’t get. The steering column feeds into a large rubber U-Joint type thing (a series of rubber discs sandwiched together). One end of that U-Joint connects to the column by a flange with a bolt though it (similar to the collars that clamp a tie rod end into the senter link). The other end of that u-joint connects to the gear’s input shaft with the same type of flange/collar. Removing the bolt through the collar should allow it to loosen to where the gear’s input shaft can be inserted/removed. At least according to the factory manual.
The problem seems to be that even with the bolt removed it is still too tight. One problem may be in getting the two pieces aligned? I don’t know- I am just stumped.
Interestingly, due to my tendency to hoard parts for this thing, I have a complete steering column assembly, and even on the bench I can’t get the two parts together.
Thanks
Dave
If it’s a split collar, you may have to slightly spread open that split collar to get it to slip over the input shaft of the gear box. A little lubricant doesn’t hurt either.
Tester