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Replacement.
This sounds a lot worse than it is. It took me about four hours. I bought a five-tool "front end set" from JC Whitney. From it, I used a spreader to force the drag link and tie rod off the pittman arm, and the pittman arm puller to get the arm off the steering box.
The best I could do at a shop was $500 for a rebuilt box and $350 for labor. I paid $305 for the box with shipping and the tools were $105. Cotter keys for the castellated nuts were $.39 and the new steering box bolts were $6.
Telephone or web:
Order rebuilt steering box
Top of car:
Remove air cleaner, disconnect, unhook left plug wires and move them out of way
Siphon/pump out PS fluid
Remove steering wheel
Remove boot, disconnect the two horn wires, and remove turn signal/wiper switch
Remove 4 screws holding steering column
Loosen/remove clamping screws on steering coupling
Pull steering column up into car about six inches
Under car:
Jack car up and put on stands, but support left wheel with jack under control arm
Disconnect left tie rod from pittman arm
Disconnect drag link from pittman arm
Remove left exhaust pipe (not manifold)
Disconnect PS pump lines from steering box, allow to drain, plug holes in steering box
Remove three bolts holding steering box to frame and maneuver box and pittman arm to floor (helps to have one person on bolts and one holding box.
On workbench:
Remove pittman arm and install on new steering box, aligning the mark on box and arm
Remove/install PS hose fittings
Under car:
Using new bolts, install new box (with helper) and re-connect and re-intall components from previous "under car" step
Back on top:
With wheels straight ahead, slip steering coupling onto steering box
With paint mark on steering column straight up, slide column down and into coupling, install and tighten clamping screws
Secure steering column with the four bolts
Reinstall turn signal and steering wheel
Fill PS resevoir, turn wheels full left/right at least twenty times, watching fluid level and adjusting as air is pumped out.
Reconnect plug wires, install air cleaner
Start car and with engine idling, slower turn wheels full l/r to verify no air in PS fluid
Put cap back on PS resevoir
Almost done:
Drive car, make final adjustments to align wheel direction with steering wheel position - steering coupling or steeriing wheel
__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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