> The steering column and box are out of the car. Is it difficult
> to remove the box from the shaft?
The outer housing part of the column should remain attached to the box. The
inner column is easy to remove once you've removed the Pitman arm (aka drop
arm) from the rocker shaft. However, removing the Pitman arm can be
difficult, so I suggest removing the column first, if you can. I was able
to work it out on my later 'split' type column, but it may be harder on your
car.
> Also, is the rebuild something I can do or where would you
> suggest I send the box for a reliable repair.
I did mine (58/59 TR3A). It's not dead simple, but I think most people
could handle it. The biggest challenge for me was getting the arm off of
the rocker shaft. Best practice would certainly be to rent or buy a
purpose-made Pitman arm puller, but I was able to make do with a large 2-arm
gear puller by fabricating some braces to lock the jaws in place and keep
them from sliding off the ears on the Pitman arm. I also recommend a
(cheap) dial indicator and magnetic base (frequently under $20 on sale at
Enco); and you'll likely need a reamer for the new bushing. I wound up not
needing the reamer, but some people have reported that they do. Don't get
the "adjustable" reamers, just a fixed HSS "chucking" reamer in the right
size (also under $20 at Enco). If you don't have a chuck big enough to hold
it, grind some flats on the shank and use a tap handle or even a socket and
T-bar to turn it. When using the reamer, it's important to apply torque to
both sides of whatever you use to turn it, so the reamer is not forced to
the side. Theoretically you should grind a longer chamfer on the leading
end of the reamer blades, but I've never bothered doing so.
You'll also need a bit of creativity to R&R the bushing. I used a length of
1/4" threaded rod, and an assortment of flat washers, sockets and maybe a
chunk of pipe to do mine. A press would probably do as well but this was
before I bought mine. Be careful not to cock the bushing in the bore, as
that will damage it. The bushing will force the seal out, no need to bother
pulling the seal first.
I believe careful adjustment is key. Start by using the dial indicator to
get the endfloat to exactly zero, with the top adjustment backed off (or the
top plate not installed). As the book says, a slight preload is
permissible, but I believe anything more than .001" will shorten the life of
the bearings and/or worm and make the steering heavier. I hit .000" within
a few tenths on mine.
Turn the shaft with your fingertips (with the top plate still off) and make
sure there is no detectable tight spot. If there is, either there is crud
in one of the bearings, or the bearings and/or races/worm must be replaced.
Then install the rocker shaft and top plate, and adjust the screw until you
can just detect the tight spot with your finger tips. Note that if your
worm is worn (as mine was), the tight spot may be off to one side or there
may even be two tight spots. Regardless of where it is, adjust the screw so
you can just barely feel it.
I also use Valvoline full synthetic 75W90 gear oil in my steering box. I
can't prove it works better than conventional oil in this application, but I
believe it does. In any case, the rebuild combined with the synthetic oil
resulted in one sweet-steering TR. I wouldn't swap for R&P if you gave it
to me.
Randall
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