> In the process of rebuilding the steering box on my 59 TR3A, I notice
> there is a thin paper gasket between the end plate and the shim pack,
> but not one between the shim pack and the face of the steering box.
> Won't the lack of a gasket on the steering box side of the shim pack
> lead to oil seepage over time?
Seems to work fine for me.
> Both surfaces (the inside of the end
> plate and the end of the steering box) seem to be machined similarly, so
> why only one gasket?
The gasket is because the machining is not perfect, but the shims are thin
enough to distort and follow any irregularities in the machining.
> Will I screw things up if I use two gaskets?
Not as long as you compensate for their thickness when choosing the shim pack.
It's a fairly critical operation though (IMO), so get it as close as you can. I
feel I'm pretty good at feeling small clearances by hand, but after trying it
both ways, I always recommend buying a (cheap) dial indicator and magnetic base
to measure the clearance with. For under $25 for both at Enco, I think it would
be foolish not to buy one for this operation even if you never use it again.
(You're also welcome to borrow mine Dennis, as always.)
> And
> finally, I'm assuming the shims themselves will compress tightly enough
> to make a decent seal, so no gasket is required between individual
> shims?
Again, works fine for me.
Randall
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