Steering Gear Box Rebuild "kit"

[RickM]

Noticed on Ebay that there are inexpensive steering box "rebuild" kits. They appear to contain O rings, clips and seals. What wears inside the box resulting in play? Not thinking these kits will help in that regard.

[DavidSoine]

These are listed on Fastlane as "steering gear seal kit" for $19. Fine if yours is leaking, maybe...but not a real rebuild.

best,

Dave
87 560sl

[gwadey]

I just finished rebuilding my box with the $19 kit. Actually there is not that much to wear out inside one of these works of art. You want to make sure that they are cleaned out well and that all the kit parts are installed properly ... no big deal. I would also use some fine emery paper to polish up the rack piston and rack cylinder also no big deal. The hardest part is adjusting the rack worm nut. If it has no slop and moves side to side freely don't mess with it. If it is tight or really sloppy you are going to another level of effort which I can help with if you contact me. The pinion aduster nut on top of the box is easy to adjust if you make a 16" long 10mm allen wrench which goes down through a gap in the exhaust manifold. A long 3/8" extension with a universal and 19mm socket goes down the same hole to the lock nut to secure the adjustment. Easy PZ. I will send photos if you need them.

[jdhill]

Originally Posted by gwadey

I just finished rebuilding my box with the $19 kit. Actually there is not that much to wear out inside one of these works of art. You want to make sure that they are cleaned out well and that all the kit parts are installed properly ... no big deal. I would also use some fine emery paper to polish up the rack piston and rack cylinder also no big deal. The hardest part is adjusting the rack worm nut. If it has no slop and moves side to side freely don't mess with it. If it is tight or really sloppy you are going to another level of effort which I can help with if you contact me. The pinion aduster nut on top of the box is easy to adjust if you make a 16" long 10mm allen wrench which goes down through a gap in the exhaust manifold. A long 3/8" extension with a universal and 19mm socket goes down the same hole to the lock nut to secure the adjustment. Easy PZ. I will send photos if you need them.

I thought about rebuilding my box also but the list of 22 specialty tools shown in the manual quickly changed my mind. How did you work around that?

[aam]

Originally Posted by gwadey

I just finished rebuilding my box with the $19 kit. Actually there is not that much to wear out inside one of these works of art. You want to make sure that they are cleaned out well and that all the kit parts are installed properly ... no big deal. I would also use some fine emery paper to polish up the rack piston and rack cylinder also no big deal. The hardest part is adjusting the rack worm nut. If it has no slop and moves side to side freely don't mess with it. If it is tight or really sloppy you are going to another level of effort which I can help with if you contact me. The pinion aduster nut on top of the box is easy to adjust if you make a 16" long 10mm allen wrench which goes down through a gap in the exhaust manifold. A long 3/8" extension with a universal and 19mm socket goes down the same hole to the lock nut to secure the adjustment. Easy PZ. I will send photos if you need them.

What year and model sl?

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by jdhill

I thought about rebuilding my box also but the list of 22 specialty tools shown in the manual quickly changed my mind. How did you work around that?

So far the only thing I ever saw going wrong with these boxes is leakage. I just used the kit to reseal the box no special tools were required. The only tool I would recomend is an in-oz or metric equivolent tourque wrench for proper adjustment. I wont be starting the engine up for some time so I dont know how effective the fix is for the moment.

John Roncallo

[jdhill]

Thanks John, good to know.